Sweetest Sins
by LaMaestra86
Summary: Stephanie McMahon has been keeping dark secrets hidden from everyone, including her own family. How far will she go before realizing she is destroying her life?
1. Arrangements Made

_**Hey all, thanks for checking out my story! Hopefully you'll enjoy it. Leave a review and let me know what you think so I can get ideas from you keep you on the edge of your seat for the next chapter!**_

"Hey, how's it going? Listen. I'm going to be out of town the next few weeks so I'm going to need to see you."

There was a short pause. She rolled her eyes and shook her head in annoyance before opening the limousine door and stepping out. "Well, there has to be some – even tonight. I don't care what time it is, I'll stop by." She looked around hoping that no one heard her. She began to make her way to her office, keeping the conversation discreet.

When she arrived at her office, she rushed inside and locked the door so she would not be disturbed.

"So then tonight is perfect. Yes! Great! I think maybe around 2 in the morning I should be able to come by your place. I have to be here at work till at least midnight. By the time everyone and everything is gone." She smiled and bit her lower lip with excitement before the door knocked.

"Oh! I gotta go. Someone is at the door. I'll give you a call or text you later, okay? Bye!"

She quickly got off the phone and went to open the door.

"Hey, Steph. What's with the door locked?" A tall muscular man in a suit asked.

"Paul. Hi. Sorry, that was just—you know—I didn't want to be bothered since I just arrived." Stephanie explained. "Right. Anyway, listen. There's a problem. Cena hasn't showed up and I just got a call from him saying he can't make it tonight. So to night's card is gonna have to be changed up a little. What I was thinking, since the idiot decided not to show up, was to put every superstar in the ring and last man standing wins the opportunity to go up against John next week for a title match." Paul suggested. "Perfect!" Stephanie replied. Paul looked at Stephanie. "Is everything okay? Normally you and I discuss a match before it's official."

"Everything is fine. I didn't get any notification about John not coming but since you knew, I'm glad you were able to come up with an alternative route. I'm not going to discuss it because we simply don't have the time. Show starts in 20 minutes. It's a good idea and John screwed himself, so too bad for him. Whoever it is next week, he will have no choice but to face him." Stephanie explained. Paul smiled and gave her a kiss. "Okay. I'm going to go tell your dad there's been a change and inform everyone in a group meeting. I'll see you in a minute." Paul turns around and walks out of the office. Stephanie takes a huge sigh of relief from not getting caught on the phone or asked who she was speaking to.

"That was close." She said under her breath. She went over to her luggage and pulled out a small bottle of Jack Daniels. There were glasses set up and a pitcher of water to her right on a table beside the leather sofa. She poured the alcohol into the glass and sat back, sipping her drink as she crossed her legs and thought about what was going to go down later that night.

The door knocked.

"Come in."

The door opened and was heard closing behind them. Stephanie smiled and placed her drink on the table. She got up to lock the door.  
She turned around, her back pressed against the door, and biting her lower lip. She pulled him closer to her with a tug of his tie and he leaned closer, kissing her neck below her jaw. She let out a soft moan but he quickly covered her mouth before someone heard. After he kissed her, she looked at him with second thoughts.

"You… better go. Before someone sees you. Or hears us." She explained. He stepped back, looking a little disappointed but understood the consequences if the two were caught together.

"I will see you later tonight." He whispered in her ear and gave her one last kiss. He unlocked the door and left. Stephanie closed the door behind him and sighed. She went back and finished her drink before the start of the show.


	2. Let's Get Started

The show ended and everyone was exiting the building, including Stephanie.

"Whoa, whoa whoa! Wait! Steph! Where are you going?" Paul stopped her. "Paul! I just got a call from one of my friends. Something happened, I need to go see her right away." She lied. "Okay, but… when were you going to tell me? You just leave without telling me? What is going on?" Paul asked. "Nothing. I just… it slipped my mind. I got the call a little while ago and I just have to… I need to go." Stephanie replied. Paul held her arm to stop her from leaving so quickly. "Listen… just be careful. Okay? It's late, and you know this town is not the really the safest town on the map." He advised. Stephanie gave him a kiss. "I promise I'll be okay. I'm heading to the hotel to get my car."

Paul didn't quite believe her but he knew she's never lied to him before. He let go of her arm and Stephanie hopped into the limousine before driving off.  
Indeed Stephanie was telling the truth about one thing: she did go back to her hotel to retrieve her car. She did not want the limo driver to know where she was going. She tipped him, got her belongings and transferred them into her car before heading out once again.

"Hey. It's me. I'm on my way now. Should be there in about 10 minutes."

"All right. Sounds good. You know where to meet me." The male said over the phone and hung up.

The area was something Stephanie imagined to find in a film. Dark alleys with water filled potholes. Trash all over the street and the sight of several homeless people sleeping on cardboard sheets covering themselves with newspapers. She was never used to a sight such as this. It did scare her but she knew if she kept her guard up, she would be safe. She parked her car at a corner and got out. She looked behind her and began to walk. There was a building with 3 steps leading to the main door. She walked towards it and just before she entered she stopped herself.

"Is it worth it?" she asked herself. She stood for a moment thinking about what will happen if she enters through that door. She shook her head to bring herself back to reality. She entered the door and went upstairs a flight of stairs.  
Apartment B-13. She walked up to the door and knocked 3 times. The door opened and a large husky man appeared with a smile on his face. The moment Stephanie saw him, she knew everything would be alright.

"What took you so long?" he asked with a smile.

"Oh come on. You know I'm a busy girl." She said with a coy smile.

He laughed and welcomed her in. He introduced her to a group of people, 2 men in their late 20's and 2 women possibly the same age. The man himself was approximately in his early 30's. All looked clean cut professionals who anyone would gladly would want to meet and introduce to their parents. It was rather odd that a group who looked so decent looking with regards to looks and clothes were located in such a sketchy location. Stephanie brushed that thought off and greeted the group.

"Hey everyone. This is Steph, a good friend of mine. That's Peter, David, Mara, Eve."

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Peter." He introduced himself. He got up and kissed her hand. He walked to her left making his way into the kitchen and Stephanie was immediately smitten by him. He poured himself a drink and one for her. She willfully accepted and took a sip.

"Aaron, are we going to start this party or not?" Mara asked as she got up and wrapped her arms around his neck. He laughed and reached into his pocket. He took out a small vial containing a white substance. Mara snatched it out of his hand and dropped herself onto the couch. David took the vial from her. He opened it and spilled the substance onto the table.

"Just in time… I needed a hit for a while." He replied. He made lines and took out a bill from his wallet. He snorted the substance and threw himself back in the couch and felt free.

"Dude… I don't know if it was me not having any in days but that's the best coke I've had. Ever!"

Everyone laughed and each took a turn taking a line and getting high.  
It was Stephanie's turn.

"Here. Just take mine." Peter said offering his bill. She smiled and took it. She rolled up the bill, looked down and suddenly froze. The thoughts of her husband, her kids, her family and her image just came rushing to her. She was about to throw everything away over a few grams of drugs to satisfy her hunger. It was a risk, she thought but a risk she was willing to take. She went ahead and it felt like Heaven. She threw her head back in passion and looked up at the ceiling with satisfaction.  
Every moment passing by, the only thing Stephanie thought about was wanting more. The thought of her family was behind her. She was no longer the clean cut young woman she made the world see. There was a dark side of her that was waiting to come out.

"So… Stephanie. Let me ask you something. You're one of the most richest women in the world. You seem to have it all. Why… why be here?" Peter asked her.  
Both were still high. Stephanie sat on his lap with a drink in one hand and her arm around his neck with the other. She leaned in closer to his ear and whispered, "Because when you have everything… you want more. That feeling of taking it to the next level and wondering just how far I will go is what I love."

Peter liked that answer. He smiled and Stephanie leaned over and kissed him. He looked at her, took the drink from her hand, placed it on the table and kissed her again. This time, it was longer and with more passion. The kind she was asking for.

"Go Steph!" everyone cheered. She laughed wildly and pulled him down with her as she fell backwards onto the sofa. Peter continued kissing her as the rest continued getting high and drunk.


	3. Regret?

*RING RING RING* *RING RING RING* *RING RING RING*

Stephanie awoke the sound of her cell phone wearing everything but her top. She fumbled and blinked a few times before answering her call.

"Hello?"

"Where the hell are you?"

"Paul!"

She jumped up and began looking for her top. "I'm still here. It was a long night and I lost track of—"  
"You know what, save it. I don't wanna talk about this over the phone. You need to get your ass home right now." And he ended the call.  
"Shit! Fuck!" she cursed quietly. She looked everywhere and found her shirt on the table beside the sofa and pulled it over her head. She went from one corner to another looking everywhere for her shoes.

The noise woke Peter.

"Hey. Is everything okay?"

"Yes. I mean, no. I mean—I need to go. I shouldn't have stayed here this long." She said with regret in her voice. He got up, zipped up his pants and walked over to her. He spotted her shoes and handed them to her.

"Thank you." She said with some relief in her voice. She spotted his shirt and handed it to him. He laughed as he took the shirt and put it on. Peter looked at her with and brushed the hair away from her face. "Just… be careful." He said softly. "I will." She answered and gave him one final kiss. She ran out and hurried home.

When she arrived, Paul was already looking out the window waiting for her to return. He didn't turn around. He heard her come in but he continued to look out the window and Stephanie, filled with shame, slowly walked over to him.

"Paul…"

Paul ignored her with his arms crossed. She placed her head on his shoulder and grasped onto his arm.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, almost crying. Paul looked over at her filled with anger.

"Sorry? You're sorry? Sorry for what? For what, Steph? For leaving your husband so suddenly without an explanation? For leaving me with the kids and having them ask me where their mother is? Sorry for coming home the next morning without ever letting me know where you are and how you're doing? Is that what you're sorry for?"  
"No, Paul. That's not… I just… God, I don't know what to even say to you right now!" She exclaimed between each sob. "You know what you can say? You can go to the girls and say 'I'm home'. What you say to me will mean absolutely nothing."

He walked away and Stephanie stood there crying over the mistakes she's made within the past 24 hours. She wiped away her tears and went over to see the girls who were still asleep.

She went to each of their rooms and kissed them on their foreheads.

"Mommy?" her eldest daughter asked as she woke from the kiss.

"Hi, sweetie."

"Are you okay?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Daddy was worried about you. So were Murphy and Vaughn. Daddy called you a lot but he said maybe your phone wasn't working. Did you see?"  
Tears formed and rolled down Stephanie's cheek.

"Why are you crying?"

"I'm just happy to see you. I had to go see a friend who was not feeling so good. I'm just so thankful for having the greatest little girls for daughters."

Aurora wiped her mother's tears and hugged her. "We love you, mommy. Forever and ever."

Stephanie kissed her on the head and had an idea.

"You hungry?" she asked with a big smile. Aurora nodded as she yawned. "Well I know your sisters are asleep and daddy had a long night. I think we should make them all breakfast. What do you say?" she suggested. "That's a great idea!" Aurora answered with a smile. "Okay then, you choose today. What should we make for breakfast?"

"Blueberry pancakes." Aurora replied. "You got it. Go get ready. I'll meet you in the kitchen and get the stuff out."

Aurora got out of her bed and Stephanie went to the kitchen to make it up to them for worrying all night.

Everyone was having breakfast but unlike the usual mornings where everyone would talk about their day ahead, it was a rather uncomfortable morning. Paul never once looked at Stephanie and Stephanie kept looking down at her plate barely touching her food. The girls felt uncomfortable and Aurora decided to break the tension.

"Dad, would it be okay if Murphy, Vaughn and I go outside to the pool right now?"

"Yeah, sure. Just make sure Vaughn has her floaters on. I'll come by in a few minutes to check up on you, okay? No fooling around in the water."

"Yes, dad. Thank you." And the girls all went upstairs to change. Paul sat there silently and waited for the girls to leave the house before speaking to his wife.

"Well now since we have some privacy, I think you owe me an explanation." Paul addressed Stephanie without making eye contact.

"Paul, I know you're upset and I can't say that I blame you… but I'm sorry. I lost track of time and it was late." Stephanie lied. Paul looked up and for the first time since that morning, he looked at her. "You lost track of time. You had me calling you all night, knowing I was going to be worried about you. Instead of answering it you decided to ignore my calls. Not giving a fuck about the girls. Forget about me. You didn't bother to think once about what the girls would think. Do you know how many times they came up and asked me where you were? How many times they asked when you're coming home? Have you lost all sense of responsibility? What is going on with you?"

"No, I haven't, Paul—"

"So then, explain to me what this… wait. Have you been drinking again?" Paul suspected. Stephanie scoffed. "No. No, I haven't been drinking." She lied. "You haven't? Because I remember 5 years ago you did the exact same things as you are now. You would be missing all night, ignoring my calls. You'd come home either late at night or early the next morning drunk or hungover smelling like a bar. You swore you'll stop and you did. At least I thought you did." He said with disappointment in his voice. "Oh my, God. Paul I am not drinking!" she said loudly. "Don't sit there and lie to me! Steph… you did it before. It's happening all over again! The late night runs, the ignoring of my calls, the feelings of guilt, the constant crying." Paul explained. "How dare you." She said with fury. "Excuse me?" Paul asked in shock. "You heard me. How dare you. How dare you accuse me of reliving the past when you know it was the darkest years of my life!" she screamed. "I know it was and it looks like you want to relive those dark years again putting yourself and me through hell but you know what? This time it's different." Paul started. "Oh it is, huh? How?" she asked. "Because now you have 3 daughters! Aurora isn't 3 anymore! She knows! You're drinking and she knows now if something isn't right!" Paul lashed out.

Stephanie's jaw dropped. He was right. She sat there motionless thinking about her decisions over the past 24 hours and the impact it brought upon her family, her husband, and her own children.

"If you'll excuse me, I have to go check up on the girls."

Paul got up to leave the dining room but before he did, he stopped and stood next to Stephanie.

"Just remember something. The pain and suffering you caused me 5 years ago is nothing to the pain and suffering you're causing me and the kids now. You decide your fate."

He walked away while Stephanie sat there upset at the accusation he made.


	4. Not Your Typical Work Day

Later that day Stephanie was at work preparing for a meeting that she was going to attend in a few hours. She was looking over some papers in preparation for the meeting when the phone rang.

"Yes?"

"Ms. McMahon there is someone here to meet you." Her secretary announced.

"Meet me? I didn't schedule a personal meeting today did I?" Stephanie asked her.

"No, ma'am but he said it urgent that you meet with him." The secretary responded.

"Who is it?"

"Mr. Orton."

"Send him in."

Stephanie closed her portfolio, put the papers away in her drawer and waited for his arrival.

When Randy arrived, she stood up to greet him.

"What the hell happened to you last night?" he asked her.

"Is that how you greet me?" she asked with a sly grin across her face.

"Cut the flirting out. Last night you said you'll meet me later and it never happened. You had second thoughts? Got scared?" he asked her, trying to get an answer. "Randy, that's not what it is. I had business to take care of and… it took longer than I expected." She explained. "I see. And this business… did it have to do with Paul? Because lately you've been telling me how you can't stand him and you run to me for –"

"It wasn't with Paul. I had some personal affairs to attend and it took longer than I expected. I didn't arrive back home till earlier this morning." Stephanie truthfully admitted. Randy was a little skeptical about her answer. She had turned to Randy a while ago due to some arguments she and Paul were having. Their friendship had evolved into something more personal and tried to keep the affair under wraps for fear of getting caught.

"Okay so then you weren't going to ever contact me and tell me to meet up another day maybe?" he asked. "Okay, now you're acting a little too sensitive. I just hadn't had the time, that's all. It was nothing personal against you. You know that. With everything I've been through the past few weeks and the rocky relationship I've been having… it was you who I could turn to. I confided in you. I wouldn't ever throw that away." She explained. "So everything is okay then? Between you and me?"  
"Of course. Always was," She said and walked right up to him. Randy chuckled from embarrassment. She leaned over and placed her lips near his ear. "We can still continue where we left off right here right now."

She began to nibble on his ear, turning Randy on, as her hands traveled down his body. He moved closer to her, pushing her body against the edge of the table before lifting her up on top of the table. He climbed on top of the table, getting on top of her and kissed her neck. Stephanie reached from under the table and pressed a button that automatically locked the door.

She hooked her finger into the collar of his shirt and pulled him down. "I'm all yours."

Randy unzipped her dress from behind and as he slowly got it off of her body, he kissed her shoulders and neck. She started unbuttoning his shirt and ripped it off his body before tossing it over her head and giggling. His lips rested on top of hers while their tongues danced together. Randy reached from behind to unhook her bra and threw it onto the floor. He pulled her closer to his body as she gasped and bit her lower lip with her eyes closed. She unbuckled and began to take off his pants. He climbed down and wrapped her legs around his waist then lifted her up and pressed her body against the cold wall, making Stephanie gasp and feel more aroused.  
"Take control of my body." She whispered in his ear. She planted a kiss on his lips as Randy pressed his body against hers. Stephanie allowed her body to not resist him, letting him take complete control. He felt her heart pounding which only made him want her more.

A little over an hour later, both began to dress and laughed in disbelief at what had just happened in her office.

"I can't believe I just had sex with you in my office." She smiled. Randy finished buttoning up the last button on his shirt before he walked over to her and kissed her cheek. "I better get going before people wonder what the deal is with the locked door."

He unlocked the door but before he left he had one final thing to say to her. "You deserved every moment of today."  
With that said, he left the office and Stephanie fixed herself up before getting ready for the meeting. She opened the drawer to find 2 important things: her portfolio and a small vial of cocaine. She grabbed the files and closed the drawer before she was tempted. She kept her mind occupied by reading the files except her hands were fidgety and she knew she needed something to calm her down. She gave in and opened the drawer and took out the vial. She poured the cocaine out and made a line using her business card. She ripped out a sheet of small notepad paper and rolled it up. She stopped for a moment to think about what she was about to do. She had a meeting in about 2 hours. Surely the small amount would wear off by then, right?

She made her decision.

She sat back in her chair and smiled with satisfaction. She went over to the fridge and took out a bottle of vodka and a small pint of orange juice. She concocted her drink and took a large gulp of it. "Woo. That really hit the spot."

She placed everything back in her mini fridge but had a difficult time maintaining her balance. She placed her hand on the wall to help keep her balance before reaching her seat.

"Ohh… bullshit." She said while looking through the papers for the meeting. She flipped the pages and made faces of disgust. "More bullshit. This is a waste of my time." She said.

The door knocked and it was a member of the Board.

"Ms. McMahon? The meeting is in 5 minutes. Are you prepared?" he asked.

"In 5 minutes? It isn't for another hour or so." She replied.

"No, ma'am, I think you misread the attachment. It begins in 5 minutes. We sent reminder emails and texts to all members attending today."

Stephanie inhaled and closed her eyes.

"You know what," she began and opened her eyes. "I'm not going."

"I'm sorry, I don't understand. You're the Chief Brand Officer." He informed her. "Well I'm choosing not to. It is not mandatory for me to be there, correct?" she asked. "Well, yes, I supposed, but –" he started. "And so if it is an option for me… then why waste my time attending?" she asked him. The Board member did not say a word. Instead he looked down, possibly in disappointment, and closed the door. Stephanie smiled and continued with her drink.


	5. I Want More

Later that day, Vince learned of the irresponsible choice Stephanie made and called her into his office.

"Stephanie. I know you have been having a tough few days at home, and I completely can understand that… but your lack of interest today to sit in at the meeting was completely uncalled for." He began. He folded his hands on his table and waited to hear her explanation.

"I know, dad and I'm sorry. I really am. Yes, Paul and I are having some problems at home but besides that, the meeting was optional for me. What is the point of me attending if it has nothing to do with me?" she dared to ask.

Vince raised his eyebrows in disbelief. "It _had_ everything to do with you, Steph. You're the Chief Brand Officer. Sooner or later, this will be _your_ company. Anything that happens in this building very much has everything to do with you. Hell, if there was a meeting about bathroom maintenance, you sit in on it! Yes, this meeting had nothing to do with you but you should have sat in on the meeting and listened. Taken notes. Showed that you _care_ about what's best for this business. You should have showed that you _are_ ready to become the future CEO of this company. Not attending just made you look bad. It made everyone question your leadership skills." Vince lectured.

Stephanie sat with her head laying low taking every word to heart and understanding the poor choice she made.

"When it comes to work, you need to leave all your personal problems aside. Whatever happens between you and Paul, leave it at home. Don't think about it. You don't think your mother and I argue? We have our bad days and we come into this building and put those feelings aside for the few hours that we are here. For one, it's no one's business. More importantly we need to focus on putting this company forward and for you to forget that rule really stunned me." Vince continued.

"I'm sorry, dad. It won't happen again." She said. "Okay. That's good to know. Now go ahead, get your work done." He told her. He continued to read the papers in front of him as Stephanie got up and left his office.

She made her way back to her office and went to pour herself another drink. After downing it at once, she sat at her desk with her head resting on the back of her chair. She felt restless and needed something to help her. She didn't want to touch the cocaine that she had in her desk for fear of getting caught. She reached for her cell phone that was to her right and began texting someone. Moments later she received a response and she pushed her chair back in a flash. She grabbed her bag and left her office.

"Dana, do me a favor. If anyone needs to reach me, tell them to call my cell." Stephanie instructed her secretary as she hurried past her. She got into her car and took a quick 10 minute drive to a coffee shop where she saw just the person she wanted to see.

"Oh my gosh, Aaron, I'm so sorry for the last minute meeting. It was urgent." She apologized. "Hey, it's okay. What's going on? Everything alright?" he asked.

His concern was nothing more than an act that easily fooled Stephanie. He didn't care about her. The only thing he cared about was getting money from her.

She leaned closer to him and started speaking in a softer tone so no one would eavesdrop on their conversation.

"I want more." She said. "Okay, that's not a problem. I'll be getting more from –"

Stephanie shook her head before interrupting him. "No. No, not that. More… excitement." She described. "I see. Um… I'm doing a little something tonight and if you're willing to come, maybe you'll get lucky. Except one thing."

Stephanie wrinkled her forehead and started getting impatient. "What? What one thing?"

"You need to play your cards right." He said. "Play my… what the hell? I've always played my cards right." She insisted. Aaron couldn't help but laugh at the double meaning behind those words. "No. I mean you gotta play your chips right." He hinted. "Chips? Wait, as in… poker?" she asked. He raised his eyebrows and nodded. "Okay, that's fine. I've got all the money you can imagine." She said, not sounding too impressed.

The sweetest sentence to his ears.

"Steph, this is why I love you. You're so daring." He said with a laugh.

_And also very naïve_

"So… when? Where?" she asked. Aaron took out a card from his inside pocket from his jacket and slid it across the table to her. He got up and left.


	6. Getting Lucky

Stephanie arrived at the location given to her on the card and Aaron greeted her at the door. She was escorted by a female wearing a corset and a masquerade mask as were all the employees. The place reminded her of a scene from 21 where the main characters were in a sketchy back room playing blackjack. Tables were set up everywhere and people were clamoring over their wins and losses. As she looked around to see if she knew anyone, another server appeared with a tray.

"Champagne, miss?" the server asked.

Over to the side, Peter, wearing his masquerade mask, spotted her and left his table. He saw her take the drink and take a masquerade mask from the tray before putting it on to hide her identity.

"Well, well. I didn't expect you to show up." Peter said. Stephanie didn't recognize him and her puzzled look was more than enough for Peter to lift up his mask to reveal his identity. She laughed from embarrassment and Peter picked up a glass of champagne off a passing tray. "Shall we cheer?"  
"To… luck." She proposed, raising her glass up. "To luck." Peter repeated and clinked their glasses before taking a sip. She put on her mask and began walking with Peter.

"So how does this work? I just sit anywhere I want and play?" Stephanie asked him. Peter shook his head and walked her around as he put his hand around her waist. "It's not that easy as you think. You need to first know which table will be best to your advantage. You've got your noobs who are first timers practicing here hoping to win and become big shots. Then you have the sharks. They're usually the ones who say nothing. Poker faces will do all the taking. They're also the ones who win almost all the time. You've got Mr. ABC Poker. They're usually ones who play by the book but they know when to go all in, when to pull out. You have the maniacs, as well call it, who just play any hand and wanna raise the bets. They sometimes could be drunk and just wanna raise bets for the fuck of it. It may sound a little intimidating because they test you. So you don't know if they're bluffing or not. Don't ever bet higher than a maniac. You could end up losing it all. You've got your Fish. They play, raise bets regardless of what cards they have and most often they lose. And finally you have the Rocks: those who play but don't wanna take risks and play the premium hand. You know, Ace, King, Queen only. My job is the find the perfect table for you."

"Well then I guess I found the perfect partner to help me win." Stephanie said seductively. "If I play my cards right we both may end up winning." Peter replied.  
They walked together and Peter found a table for the both of them to play at.

"I'll go first. Watch me." He told her. He sat at the table and was dealt his cards. Stephanie stood behind him with her hands on his shoulders looking at his cards. He placed in his bet and Stephanie noticed how much he put down. "Are you crazy?" she asked him. "I got this. Don't worry." He assured her. He got his cards and studied them carefully. His opponent raised the bet but Peter didn't budge. He raised it to three times as much and Stephanie was becoming worried. Of course, she knew if she showed any signs of concern or excitement, his opponent would notice.

"All right. Time to reveal." His opponent said. He placed his cards down showing his hand.

Peter sucked his teeth and shook his head. "Wow. That's some hand you got."

His opponent laughed and cheered until Peter showed his hand: a straight flush. Earning him a whopping $60,000. Stephanie cheering and hugged him from behind. She smothered him with kisses all over her face as Peter began laughing. "I told you I got this." He said to her with a big smile.

Throughout the night Stephanie watched and played along learning the tips and tricks whenever she took a break from playing allowing her to get the upper hand almost every time.

She and Peter took a break and walked to the back of the room where there was a lounge area with cigars and alcohol.

"So what do you think? Pretty nice place to win quick cash, huh?" Peter asked as he poured drinks for themselves. He handed her a drink and they walked over the sitting area. She sat on his lap with the drink in her hand and took the cigar from his mouth and smoked it.

"So not only do you take people's money but their cigars too, huh?" Peter joked. "Cigars will be the only thing I give back." She said with a smirk. Peter just looked at her and placed his hand on her ass as she smoked the cigar. "Come with me." He told her. They got up and he walked her to a private room further back.

It was a dimly lit room but it was far enough away from the loud noise outside and he closed the door behind her. He reached up and took off her mask, giving him a closer look at her blue eyes. He leaned in closer and laid a soft kiss on top of hers. She pulled off his mask and kissed him back. The two of them looked at each other and suddenly, feelings came raging out. Peter pushed her body against the door, trapping her. He locked the door with one hand and lifted her arm over her head with the other. Stephanie gasped for air as Peter snaked his hand from the doorknob and up her thigh. He let go of her arm and unzipped the back of her strapless little black dress. After it dropped on the floor, Stephanie kicked off her heels and Peter lifted her up off the floor. He made his way over the low rising bed and laid her across the black satin sheets. The two of them rolled around before undressing each other furiously. With their hearts beating right out of their chests, they knew it was wrong but it felt so right. They wanted each other. Peter licked his lips and locked his hands with hers across the bed. He went in and targeted her neck starting with kisses before gliding his tongue up and reaching her mouth. Stephanie let go of his left hand and grabbed onto his shoulder before digging her nails into his back. They rolled between the sheets laughing and feeling the ecstasy between them.

"Wait, wait wait. Hold on." Peter said as Stephanie was kissing him. "What? What is it?" she asked. He crawled to the other side of the bed, reached down and picked up his pants. He searched for the pockets and took something out that he knew they'd both enjoy. When Stephanie saw what it was, she laughed and fell back into the bed. "Oh you sure know how to make a girl's night." She said with happiness. Still holding the object in his hand, he slid it across her bare stomach hoping that she'd get the hint. Of course, she did and all she could do was laugh at the insane idea. "You can't be serious." She said with a big smile. Peter didn't say a word. She took the object from his hand and crawled closer to him. "How about you go first?" he suggested. With a sly smile, she liked that suggestion. She pushed him down onto the bed and opened the object. She poured it in between his abs and snorted the cocaine followed by licking the same area to get every grain of cocaine into her system. Peter took the vial from her and Stephanie laid on her back. He made a line on her stomach and snorting it. Following the same routine as Stephanie, he licked her stomach then got on top of her and continued from where he left off.

Stephanie closed her eyes and bit her lower lip as she moaned with pleasure. She felt a rush of heat come onto her as her heart pounded heavily. She threw her head back into the pillow and grabbed it with one hand, clenching it tightly as she breathed heavily and moaned loudly. She ran her fingers through his brown hair with the other before grabbing it. She moaned harder, calling out his name. He kissed her inner thighs before making his way back up. He slid his tongue across her pelvis and it took all her might to not let out a scream. Peter kissed every part of her stomach before reaching up and looking into her eyes. Breathing heavily, he placed his hand behind her neck and pulled her closer to kiss her. His other arm traveled down her body and moments later, Stephanie began to moan between every kiss before they transformed into screams of pleasure.

"Oh, God, Peter don't stop."

He continued pleasing her and working on her body while Stephanie arched her back with excitement. She rolled him over, getting of top of Peter. She placed her hands on his large chest and looked into his brown eyes. He placed his hands on her waist as she rocked her body back and forth on top of his. He lifted himself up to kiss her but before he could steal a kiss, she playfully pushed him back down. Peter laughed, placed his hands on her waist again and took control. He thrusted himself inside her and Stephanie moaned louder and harder. Her mind went blank and the only thing she could feel were the orgasms she felt all over her body. She went numb and gave her body to him... letting him do whatever he wanted to her.

"Don't stop. Don't stop." She begged. He rolled her over and, gave her exactly what she wished for. He entered her once more as Stephanie wrapped her legs around his waist. With every moan and scream she made, he went in harder. She gripped the sheets until she burst with excitement and screamed with intense pleasure. That didn't stop Peter. He kept going, as they gasped and breathed heavily until his body burst with excitement as well.

They held each other's hot sweaty bodies for a moment, just admiring each other's company before Peter went to clean himself up. When he returned, he held her in his arms as she laid her head on his chest. They felt each other's heartbeats as they slowly drifted off to a deep slumber.

The next morning, she woke up and looked to her right and saw Peter still sleeping. She smiled at him before looking around the room for her clothes. She picked up her bag and her wedding ring fell out. She picked it up and thought about the symbolism the ring held and the promises she made. She heard Peter yawn and she immediately threw the ring in her bag and turned around to see him.

"Where are you off to so early in the morning?" he asked her as he stretched then sat up. "I need to get back home. I have so much work that's backed up. I need to get an early head start." Stephanie lied. She couldn't come to terms to tell him that she has a family to return to. Deep down, she was having feelings for Peter but it wasn't the kind she had when she fell in love with Paul. With Paul, it was true love. With Peter, the feelings were more lust due to what he had to offer in order to feed her hunger and satisfaction.

Peter extended his arm wanting to hold her hand. She reluctantly agreed and he pulled her onto the bed. He brought her in closer and held her for a moment just looking at her and admiring her beauty. "You're so beautiful." He whispered. She looked down, whether it be from shame or from feeling embarrassed that someone would compliment her after what she just did, then looked back up at him. "I really need to leave." She said with a blank expression and got up. She headed for the door and left the house.

With every step she took heading to her car she cried even harder. As soon as she sat in her car she let out a loud wail. She banged her head on the headrest several times screaming at the mistakes she made last night and how unfaithful she was.

"Oh God what have I done?" she asked herself. She felt lifeless as she struggled to keep her body up. She rested her forehead on the steering wheel with tears running down her face and onto her legs. She sat in her car crying for almost an hour before pulling herself together and heading back home.  
When she arrived, she noticed Paul wasn't home. He must have gone to the office and for Stephanie, it was the greatest thing that's happened to her lately. She quickly raced to the bathroom and took off all her clothes before hopping into the shower. Though it wasn't possible, the only thing she wanted to do was wash away all the pain and hurt she was feeling inside.


	7. A Monster is Born

After her long shower, she felt content enough to come out and face the real world. She grabbed a towel to wrap around her body. She turned around to wipe the mirror and takes a look at herself. She stared at this new person in front of her. It wasn't Stephanie McMahon the loving wife, mother, and the hard working, successful woman. This was someone else. A drug addicted, sex crazed alcoholic who is not satisfied with what she has and wants more.

"No. No, I can't think like that. There is nothing wrong with me. I'm the same old Steph." She said to herself looking away. She looked down at the floor and noticed her bag was in the bathroom. She rushed right into the bathroom without even realizing to putt everything back where it belonged. She searched through it and found what she needed. She wiped the bathroom sink and table clean and searched once again for something in her bag. She found her wallet and took out a single to roll up. Fearing from getting caught, she locked the bathroom door and went ahead and poured all the cocaine onto the edge of the sink and got high. Any small traces she quickly wiped off with a tissue and wiped her nose. She looked in the mirror once more and smiled. That innocent, regrettable young woman was lost.

Paul entered the house and announced his arrival. There was silence. He walked over to the living room to see if Stephanie was around but she was nowhere to be found. He made his way upstairs and before he could call out her name, she appeared from the bathroom.

"There you are." He said with a smile. "Missed me?" she asked in a seductive voice. "Haven't seen you in a good mood in a while." He answered. "Well that's because things are about to be different around here." She said softly as she walked towards him. She kissed him and gave a smile. To Paul, it seemed like a normal smile but to Stephanie, it was the most evil smile she ever formed. He had no idea that just moments before he arrived home, his wife turned into the monster she had created.

She held him by his hand and led him to their bedroom. Paul kicked the door closed behind him and Stephanie began nibbling on his ear. "I want you so bad right now." She softly whispered in his ear. She looked at him with her cold empty eyes and took off her towel. Paul took her over to their bed where they shared a moment together. To Paul, it was magical. To Stephanie, there were no feelings or emotions behind it. To her it was another hunger she needed to feed from the drugs.

As the house slept, Stephanie's phone vibrated and she answered it immediately before Paul woke.

**(203) 555-7139**  
_I need to see you. Can you meet me?  
1:27AM_

It was from Peter. How did he get her number? Did she give it to him last night? Or from their first encounter? It was all a fog to her.

**(203) 555-1361**  
_I can't.  
1:27AM_

**(203) 555-7139**_  
It's only for a few minutes. I swear.  
1:28AM _

**(203) 555-1361**_  
How did you get my number? Did I give it to you?  
1:30AM_

**(203) 555-7139**_  
…. Yeah. You don't remember?  
1:31AM_

**(203) 555-1361**_  
No.  
1:34AM _

**(203) 555-7139**_  
I'll explain later when you I see you.  
1:35AM_

**(203) 555-1361**_  
Where?  
1:35AM_

**(203) 555-7139**_  
At my place.  
1:36AM_

**(203) 555-1361**_  
Okay. Give me your address. I'll meet you right now.  
1:40AM_

She received his address and got dressed. She quietly crept out of the house and went to meet Peter.

*Knock knock knock*

The door swung open and there was Stephanie standing in front of him. He hugged her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. He let her in and she placed her bag on the table beside the door.

"Peter, you have no idea how big of a risk I took to come see you." She replied. "I know. I know, and I'm sorry but… I really needed to see you." He explained. "Why? What is it? Is everything okay?" she asked. "I don't know. I just… can't stop thinking about you." He answered. This wasn't good. She didn't want to hear something like that from him. Was he starting to have feelings for her? He knew she was married. "Peter… I don't think we should be doing this. Meeting in the middle of the night, saying things like 'I can't stop thinking about you', or…" she began but Peter immediately kissed her.

"Tell me what you felt." He said as he rested his forehead against hers. "Passion. Desire." She answered with her eyes closed. "Last night felt right. And you know it did. For both of us." He said. He started kissing her neck and Stephanie immediately melted. She did not once try to stop him. He looked into her eyes and saw the answer in her eyes. He walked over the kitchen to the right and poured a drink for her and for himself. After he handed it to her, he went to the living room and opened a small box. In it was a small plastic pouch filled with cocaine.

"What do you say? Relive last night? Only make it ten times better?" he suggested. "Oh you read my mind." She replied and gave him a kiss. He opened the bag and poured all the cocaine onto the table. There was a small card across the table that he reached over and grabbed. He split the cocaine in half. He made himself a row and took out his wallet. He rolled up a dollar bill before taking in all that cocaine into his system. He fell back on the couch and sighed loudly at how great he felt. He handed the bill to Stephanie and she made a row for herself. Without any hesitation this time, she went ahead and got high. She blinked a few times before wiping her nose and climbing on top of Peter.

"I wanna make you see stars." He said in a daze as he looked at her. "Mmmm. I'd like to see that." She responded. He 'bit' the air and reversed their positions. He got on top of her and gently pulled on her hair as he began kissing her.

The two continued a night of drug filled passion. The monster emerged and had no care about who was back home sleeping in her bed.


	8. Suspicion Grows

The birds chirped loudly outside and the sun began to rise. Stephanie inhaled and exhaled deeply as she squinted. She rubbed her eyes and looked at the time. They spent the entire night in the living room in front of the fireplace. She sat up and looked around her clothes. She put them on and scanned the room for a paper and pen. When she did, she scribbled a little note for him before leaving.

_Peter, _

_ I didn't want to wake up as you slept so soundly. Last night was amazing. I can't wait to see you again soon. _

_Steph_

She placed it beside him on the floor and quietly left the house. She made her way back home and had to think of an excuse in case she got caught. She pulled up to the driveway and prayed that Paul was still asleep.

When she entered, the house was silent. She went into the bedroom and saw that Paul was still fast asleep. She went into the bathroom to change her clothes and climbed into bed hoping that he wouldn't notice she ever left.

Later in the day, Stephanie woke up and went downstairs to find Paul in the living room watching a basketball game on TV. She walked over to him and laid on the couch placing her head on his lap. Paul ran his fingers through her hair as Stephanie snuggled closer to him.

"Where were you this morning?"

Stephanie didn't answer. She couldn't believe he realized she was missing. "I was here." She lied. "At 6am? You were nowhere to be found around the house." Paul explained. "Oh! You meant early in the morning. I went down by the lake to look at the sunrise." She lied again. Paul displayed a puzzled look on his face and looked at her. He moved aside and Stephanie sat up. He raised one eyebrow and looked at her. He didn't buy her story for once.

"You went to the lake?" he confirmed. Stephanie didn't feel comfortable and avoided eye contact with him. "Yes." She answered as she was looking away. He turned her head and looked her in the eyes. "Eyes here." He told her and pointed to his eyes. She tightened her jaw and looked up at him. Her eyes filled with anger.

"We have been living here for 10 years and never once have you gone down to that lake. Don't try and play me for a fool." He warned her. "I can't believe you. Again, you don't believe me!" she snapped. "I don't believe you because it's not the truth, that's why!" he exclaimed. "So now, what? You're going to question my every move? If I'm not at home you need to where I am? Why don't you put a fucking GPS tracking device on my car then if you don't believe me!" she screamed. "Calm down. Okay? I'm not trying to start a fight. I am your husband. I have every right to know where you were. You are my wife. I need to make sure you are safe." He explained angrily. Stephanie got up, frustrated with him, and turned her back away from him.

"All you do is interrogate me." She said quietly. Paul got up and walked over to face her. "I _interrogate_ you!?" he asked angrily. She looked up at him and formed a smug look on her face. "You think I went out drinking, don't you?" she questioned him. "I never said that. Okay? All I'm saying is—" "All you're saying is 'gee, I wonder where my alcoholic wife was this morning?'. _That_ is what you're saying. I have told you repeatedly I am _not_ drinking! You can't seem to let that go!" She yelled.

"You put your voice down before the girls hear you and wonder what all the commotion is." Paul growled at her quietly as he clenched his teeth. Stephanie gave him a cold, soulless stare in his eyes before marching upstairs.

She closed the bedroom door behind her and went to pack her bags. "Enough is enough with him. Every moment he needs to know where I am, what I'm doing. Like I'm in high school all over again." She said to herself. She flung open her luggage bag and opened the closet door. She stepped in and picked out a few articles of clothing before throwing them inside and zipping the luggage. She marched back downstairs and Paul noticed the bags in her hands. He stepped in front of her to stop her from leaving.

"Where the hell are you going?" he asked. "Away from you. Get out of my way." She insisted with anger and annoyance. Paul grabbed her bag and Stephanie's eyes widened. She couldn't believe he just did that. "You're not going anywhere. You and I need to sit down and talk. In this house." He told her. "Oh you have some nerve, Paul, to grab _my_ bag." She said and tried to get her bag back. The two started a tug of war hoping the other would give up and let go but neither budged. Fed up, she slapped Paul. He looked at her with disbelief at what just happened. He let go of her bag and was livid. He stepped aside and let Stephanie walk through the door.

"Hey. I need to see you."


	9. I Need Your Help

Paul knocked on the door and waited for someone to answer. After what seemed like forever, the door opened and there stood Linda, his mother in law.

"Paul, I'm surprised to see you."

"Hey. I know, I'm sorry. I know Steph usually drops the girls off whenever we have to travel but she… hasn't been feeling too good lately." He explained trying to choose his words wisely.

Linda opened the door wider and asked them all to come in.

"Girls, you can go out to the back if you want, your grandfather is already there so go say hi and I'll be there shortly." Linda instructed. The girls ran off and Paul watched them cheer with excitement.

"Is everything alright?" a concerned Linda asked. "I'm not sure. She just hasn't been herself. I don't think she'll be coming into the office tomorrow." He lied. "Well Vince got a call from her that she won't be coming in today and so he won't be surprised if she doesn't report tomorrow either." She said. Paul looked down with sadness before Linda finally put the pieces together.

"Is she drinking again?"

He looked up and struggled to find the right words to say. In fact, he didn't know what to say at all! "I don't know. I wish I knew the answer to that. Linda, I feel like it's happening all over again. She is going out and missing all night. She comes home early the next morning making bullshit excuses. We have been bickering and arguing these past few days and I don't want the girls to see her in this state. Aurora isn't 3 anymore. She's able to figure it out herself that something isn't right with her mother. The other day at breakfast, she knew there was something not right and made an excuse to take the girls out to the pool so we could be left alone. I don't want Murphy and Vaughn witnessing this. I love her and I want to help her… but she thinks I'm interrogating her, as she put it." He confessed.

Linda hugged him.

"Oh, Paul. We all were able to help her before and we can surely do it again. There is no need to worry, okay? Do you want me to call her and talk to her? Ask her to come stay here so she is under mine or Vince's eye?" she asked. He let go of her and shook his head. "No. No, don't let her know that I told you. I don't want her to start another argument with me. I've lost count as to how many we've had the past several days. I do need a favor to ask from you." He said. "Anything." She answered. "I'm going to be back Sunday morning. I don't know if Steph will be coming to work tomorrow and it seems as though she probably won't since she didn't bother going in today. If she does go to work tomorrow, just don't let her get the impression that you know anything. Sunday, however, she never goes to the office. I'm going to need your help. I need you to give me the keys to her office. I need to find out if there is anything there that will help me find out what is going on." Paul explained. "Are you sure?" she asked, questioning his plan. "Positive. If she is drinking, I know how she is. She doesn't drink and drive. That close call really scared her. And when she does come home late, she's somewhat sober. So she won't put her life in danger while she's alone. I just don't want her to get any impression that you or Vince know that I told you when I dropped the girls off." He replied. Linda sighed in disappointment. "If that's what you want, Paul. I will keep my lips sealed. I will see what happens tomorrow and if she doesn't come in, I will give her a call and just ask if she's feeling okay. I won't mention you at all. I'll play it off as the role of a concerned mother." She said. "That's fine. I really appreciate your help, Linda. For watching the girls while I'm gone and… just everything with Steph since the beginning."

"Paul, listen to me. Don't take this too hard on yourself. You did absolutely nothing. She had a problem and fell off the wagon. We managed to help her before and we will be able to help her again. I will help you out with whatever you need. Vince and I both will for you and the girls." She comforted him. For the first time in a long time, Paul displayed a smile but it didn't last too long. It quickly turned into a frown and he broke down in tears.

"I don't wanna see her get hurt." He sobbed. He sat on the armchair with his face buried in his hands. Linda kissed him on the head and assured him that everything will be alright. Paul wiped his tears before his daughters caught him. He took in a deep breath before breathing out to calm himself down. He got up and looked outside the window to see his girls playing with their grandfather in the great lawn.

"They don't deserve to see their mother go through hell." He said to himself. "And I promise you, they won't." Linda said. He faced her and gave a weary look. "Yeah. Let's hope so."

"You just go to that meeting. Come here Sunday and I will hand you the keys to her office. Have a safe trip and if anything, I will keep you posted on Stephanie. In the meantime, I will follow the plan."

Paul hugged her and went outside to the yard to give the girls a kiss goodbye before leaving for his trip. All he could do was think about his wife, the struggles she was going through alone, and the fear of finding out something he didn't want to when he would return Sunday.


	10. Going Too Far

Saturday afternoon, Stephanie was sitting in the living room alone in a daze. She never returned home and the scenes from the day before kept replaying in her mind. _Did I go too far?_

"Hello? Hey. Stephanie." A voice called out. Stephanie returned to reality and looked to see who it was. Peter looked at her with concern and asked if she was okay. "Yeah, no. I'm fine. Just… have a lot on my mind." She explained as she rubbed her forehead. She broke down and began to cry while covering her face with her hands. Peter moved closer and hugged her trying to calm her down. "Hey. It'll be okay." He whispered to her. She wondered how true that phrase was. How could everything be okay if she is here and not at home?

"I can't be here." She admitted. She got up and walked around the couch to go upstairs. Peter followed her asking what she meant. "Steph. Steph, just talk to me. What is going on? What do you mean you can't be here? You came here. What is going on?" he asked repeatedly. She ignored him and grabbed any of her clothes that she could find and packed her bags before making her way back downstairs. Again, Peter followed her and continuing to ask questions.

"Could you just stop for a second and talk to me?" he asked when he stood in front of her. "I don't know what's going on with me." She answered him with tears. "Listen to me. You came here, distraught. You said you had a fight and needed to get away. So you came. Why are you going back? What is going on?" he asked her. "Peter, I need to go back. I wasn't thinking straight and I needed to cool off and I came here. I made a mistake coming here. I'm sorry." She said and pushed her way out. Peter didn't stop her but wished she was clearer with what she meant and wished he knew what was going on with her.

The problem was, even Stephanie didn't know what was going on with her. She wasn't thinking rationally any longer. She made sudden decisions that would backfire on her and get her in trouble.

_What is happening to me? How could I smack Paul? How could I just leave like that and worry him all night? What have I become?_

All those questions kept running through her mind as she drove home.

When she entered her house she felt very uncomfortable. She was afraid of taking another step in her own home. When she went into the living room, she noticed there was a note for her written on a notepad.

_In San Francisco for the network meeting we set up weeks ago. Not sure if you will be joining me but if you do happen to read this, your parents are watching the girls. Please be safe and don't do something you'll regret later on. I love you and will see you Sunday evening I hope when I return. _

_Paul _

Stephanie tossed the notepad back on the table and went down to her basement. In the back she kept bottles of alcohol hidden from Paul. Next to her boxes of high school items, she had another box with the same label written across it but instead there were bottles. She knew Paul would never look through her personal belongings and this was the perfect way to hide them in the house without getting caught. She took the box off from the shelf and looked inside. There was a half empty bottle of vodka, a bottle of whiskey that wasn't opened ever, and a bottle of rum that was almost done. She took all three and went upstairs.

She set them on the living room coffee table and made her way into the corridor to grab a glass for her drinks and the shaker. She then proceeded to make her way into the kitchen to get the mixers and ice before finally sitting down and preparing a drink for herself. She poured the whiskey and for the first time in a long time, she raised the glass up to her lips and took a sip. Almost immediately she felt euphoria all over her body. She didn't waste any time and finished the drink in a matter of seconds before pouring another glass of whiskey. She took her time with that drink before moving onto the rum. She poured the cranberry juice and rum afterwards. She took a sip and felt a lightheaded.

Stephanie closed her eyes for a moment to try and shake off the dizziness before continuing her drink. When she opened her eyes, she reached for the rum bottle and poured whatever was left and finished her drink. She looked around and noticed her phone was nowhere to be found. She got up and wobbled but held onto anything that came across her way to keep her balance. She spotted her bag and grabbed it and made her way back onto the couch with difficulty.

She scrolled through her contacts before finding Peter's number. When she did, she sent him a text and waited for a response. Within a minute, he responded back: _On my way._ She smiled and got up again only this time she felt much dizzier and sat back down for a moment. She tried again only this she got up slowly and went to the corridor to get a glass for him. She knocked some glasses over and immediately fixed them as she cursed under her breath. She held onto the wall as she went back and waited for Peter.

While she waited, she poured herself some orange juice and a little bit of vodka. She wasn't a fan of vodka but since she took it out, she thought why not try it? She took a sip and made a face. "There's a reason why I hate you." She told the glass. She set the glass down and right away the bell rang. "Oh, fuck my life, I have to get up again?" she asked herself. It was bad enough she struggled to get to the corridor which was feet away but now she had to walk across the living room to get to the door. The doorbell rang again and she was left with no other choice but to get up and attempt to make her way across the living room. Before she took another step, she grabbed her glass and continued to walk.

She finally reached the door and opened it.

"Oh! Hi!" she said excitedly. Peter laughed and walked in. "Are you okay?" he asked. "Never been better," She answered and handed him her drink. "Drink?" she asked him. She had no idea that the drink she was offering him was actually hers and not the one she was meant to make for him. Peter took the glass from her hand and walked with her the living room.

"This is… some sweet home you have." He said as he looked around impressed at the architecture. "Thanks." She replied with a smile. "Before you say anything… am I going to get my ass beat up any minute now?" he asked. Stephanie's jaw dropped. "Why would I do that to you?" she asked him. Peter laughed and hugged her. "Aww, you're too adorable. Not you. You know… your husband." He explained. She pulled away and looked at him. "He is away. It's just you… and me."

"I see. So then you're free to do whatever you want here."

Stephanie had a smirk on her face. "And right now… I just want to do 2 things. Get high… and you."

She leaned closer and gave him a kiss. She laughed then got up and led him somewhere.

They went upstairs to the Study and Stephanie went over to the bookcase and reached behind. She pulled out a small bag of cocaine and tossed it to Peter. "Always have to keep some hiding if you ever need it in case of an emergency." She joked. Peter opened the small zip lock bag and poured it on top of the desk. He used a business card that was sitting on the desk and made two rows before pulling out a bill and snorting it. Afterwards, Stephanie took a turn.

"Well now… it's time for the other thing I need to do." She said. Peter went in for the kiss but Stephanie placed her finger on his lips. She shook her head. She led him out of the Study, Peter holding her from behind with his arms around her waist and kissing her neck and shoulders. They entered the bedroom and after he closed the door, the two began to kiss and made their way to the bed. As Stephanie unbuckled his belt, Peter pulled his shirt over his head and threw it on the floor. Before she got the chance to unbutton and unzip his pants, Peter pulled her in close to his body and felt her heart racing. Whether it was from the moment or from the drugs, it didn't stop him from wanting her. She got on the bed with Peter climbing on top of her and undressing her.

He admired her body and ran his hand down the side of her leg before he began kissing her. Stephanie twisted her body as Peter teased her. He knew what she wanted but she was going to have to wait for it. He made a trail of kisses from her mouth to her neck down to her stomach. As he inched further down, his tongue took long strokes before reaching her pelvis. She moaned and began getting excited knowing he was about to enter her. She could feel his tongue getting closer. She started moaning loudly then suddenly he changed his mind. Again, he teased her. She twisted her body again trying to control herself but couldn't. As Peter started kissing her chest, she felt his fingers crawling down her stomach. They traveled further down and she felt them for a moment before they touched her thigh. She couldn't take the teasing anymore and rolled him over hoping to take control but before she had the opportunity, Peter rolled her and had her on her back again.

"Can't wait anymore?" he whispered in her ear as he caressed her leg. She felt his two fingers walking across her leg when finally they entered her. She let out a soft moan while Peter worked on her. He kissed her breasts and went deep in her. He moved his fingers in a circular motion, playing with her and turning her on more. He decided to switch it around and took his fingers out. He began teasing her by making her think he would go in her again but barely touching her and pulling away. He did this for several seconds as he kissed her lips softly. Stephanie grabbed his hair and Peter entered her once more, this time going in faster to hear her moan louder and harder.

He stopped for a moment and unzipped his pants. He took them off and Stephanie immediately rolled him over. She reached down for him and felt him in her hands before tasting him. His mind went blank and he didn't fight back. After several minutes, she climbed on top of him and he entered her. Without giving her a chance, he took control and thrusted himself into her furiously. She grabbed onto his arms as she let out screams of pleasure. She could no longer control her body and her emotions. He stopped for a moment to let her catch her breath. Before she could even do anything, he continued until both of them let out an explosive scream of pleasure together.

When she climbed off him, she looked over to him and both could not believe what just happened. Peter never expected to sleep with her in her own bed and Stephanie never thought she would sleep with another man in her own bed.


	11. The Discovery

He wriggled the key into the lock and opened the door. Paul closed the door behind him and looked around the office. He returned from his trip and went straight to see Linda who handed him the keys to his wife's office. He wasn't happy with his decision to look through her personal belongings but he was left with no choice. He needed answers.

The first thing that caught his eye was her mini fridge. He walked over to it and before he could open it he took a deep breath and prepared himself for the worst. When he did, he saw water bottles and juice containers. No sign of alcohol anywhere. He moved them aside and still saw nothing. He closed the fridge feeling a little relieved that he was wrong for once but it didn't quite add up. He faced her desk and wondered if there was anything in her drawers that she may have been hiding.

He opens the top drawer only to find stacks of papers consisting of notes and drafts that she had been working on for the past few weeks. He didn't want to take the risk and scanned every sheet of paper he came across in case if she purposely hid something between the stack for no one to find. No luck. He placed all the papers together just exactly as he found them and looked inside the drawer if there was anything. Again, no luck. He carefully put the papers back in the drawer before moving onto the next drawer below.

All he saw were file folders sorted out alphabetically with contracts, agreements, proposals, and other work related documents. Again, he looked through every single file and sheet of paper if in case she was hiding something. To his surprise, he found nothing. He was beginning to feel more relieved but yet, also very frustrated because he needed answers. He took out the file folders and saw nothing beneath it. He reached down and reached the back of the drawer to find nothing. He put the file folder back and closer the drawer. He sighed and wondered where he could find his answers.

There was another drawer, a larger one, on the other side of the desk. He pulled it but to his surprise, it was locked and he didn't have the keys to it! He sighed and looked around her office for any signs of keys anywhere. He came up short and thought carefully.

_Where would I hide a key here if I didn't want anyone to find it?_

He remembered she had a hidden button under her desk to lock her door. He slid his fingers under the desk and felt something! It was taped to the bottom of the desk and he pulled it off and there it was! The key! He took off the piece of tape stuck to it and his hand shook as he tried to stick he key into the hole. After many attempts, he finally did so and held his breath. He pulled the drawer open and his eyes widened!

_Nothing!_

He took out the stacks of paper and looked through them. Indeed he was right. Nothing. After reviewing all the papers, there was no sign of anything that would give him the assumption she was in trouble.

_Maybe I was wrong. Maybe she's not drinking. Maybe she's just frustrated with me._

He put the files back and heard a noise coming from the drawer. The papers pushed something against the back of the drawer and he took them out to see what it was. He reached in and felt something small and hard. He pulled it out and his jaw dropped.

There it was. The vial of cocaine that she had used weeks ago was found. The same vial she hid was now in the hands of her husband. Paul closed his eyes and became very emotional. He fought back the tears and wished it wasn't true. He dropped the vial on top of her desk and buried his hands in his face as he began to weep silently.

After several minutes of crying, he noticed the family photo on her desk. They all looked so happy. What happened to her? When did it start? How could his wife fall into such a dark world? Who was to be blamed for this? All unanswered questions he had running through his mind. Just suddenly, he noticed something. He got up and opened her fridge again.

The juices were all together on the rack facing him along with a couple of unopened water bottles and the opened water bottles were sorted on the side. Stephanie had a tendency to be a neat freak and compulsive when it came to sorting and organizing. She would never put the water and juices together let alone have opened water bottles next to the juices. If he knew his wife well enough, she would be the type to place all the waters together regardless if they were open or not, and place all the juices together, regardless if they were open or not. What caught his attention was the one water bottle with brownish gold liquid which he believed was iced tea. Why would she have iced tea in a water bottle?

He took out all the opened water bottles and opened them. He took a whiff and he was right! She had filled them with alcohol! He lost it and his sadness became anger. He put all the bottles back where he found them and looked at the vial of cocaine on her desk. He grabbed the vial and stormed out her office while slamming the door behind him. Some of the workers who came into work stepped out to see what was going on. They noticed he was furious and didn't dare to ask if he was okay. He got into his car and sped home.

When he arrived, he called for Stephanie. He searched all over the house for her until realizing she was not home. He wondered if she was hiding anything at home. If she managed to get away with it at work, then surely there was a chance she could have been hiding something in her own home.

He started in the living room and searched all over before failing to find anything. He looked through closets and even his own bedroom but found absolutely nothing.

Angry and filled with sadness, he couldn't believe his wife had gone to this measure. The drinking he could have tolerated with. After all, she had a problem before and he helped her get better but now to learn she does drugs hurt him so much more. She threw away the happiness of their family over a few minutes of a high.


	12. Caught!

Stephanie returned to work Monday continuing her work from last week. She couldn't focus because the only things she could think about were her actions over the weekend: the fight, the sudden exit, and having Peter over her home.

_Did I go too far? What the fuck was I thinking? What if I had gotten caught? How could I have another man in my bed?_

She exhausted herself with all these questions that she stepped away from her desk. She walked over to her fridge and made herself a drink. As she took a sip, she looked out her office window pondering about what she needs to do with herself. She set the glass down on her desk and pushed the files aside. She sighed and rested her head on her hands.

*Knock knock knock*

"Come in." she called out wearily.

The door opened and a coworker walked in with a manila folder in his hand.

"Here is the paperwork from Japan. They just faxed it over." He replied and handed here the files.

"Thank you. I will take a look and send out a memo to the staff if a meeting is necessary." She said. The man left the office and Stephanie looked at the files quickly. She tossed them aside with the other ones and looked at the drawer. She eyed the door and pressed the button to lock it. She moved her hand over to the left to grab the key to the drawer but couldn't find it. Panicking, she got off her chair, got on her knees and looked under the desk to see if it was even there. It wasn't.

"Oh my God." She said to herself. She crawled over and opened her drawer. She tossed and threw papers all over the floor in hopes of finding the vial. It wasn't there! She reached inside and felt nothing! She pulled the drawer out and hoped that it had fallen out from the drawer and was in between the drawer and the back of the desk. She searched and found nothing. She quickly put everything back where it belonged and sat in her chair rocking back in forth becoming a nervous wreck.

"Where is it?" she asked herself angrily. She got up and didn't even know where to go to start her search for the key and the vial. She was ready to pull the hair out of her head from paranoia and immediately finished her drink. She grabbed her bag and rushed out of the office.

Stephanie arrived home and hurried up to the Study. She kept a secret stash not only behind the bookcase but also inside some books. She pulled a book off from the shelf and flipped through the pages until she found the bag. Her heart, which was pounding the entire time, slowed down after a horrifying half hour. She took a deep breath and let out a collective sigh of relief. She held the bag tight in her hand and close to her heart. She sat behind her desk and opened the bag. She gathered all the powder into one row and without hesitation, snorted it. Satisfied and relieved, she sat back in the chair and closed her eyes.

Later that day Paul came home to find Stephanie working in the Study.

"Hey. You didn't go to work?" he asked her. Stephanie looked up and smiled at him. "I did. I just didn't feel too good and came home." She lied. "Are you okay?" he asked with concern. "Yes. It's nothing. I feel… so much better now." She explained with a smile. "Good. Good. So nothing out of the ordinary happen to make you feel this way?" he asked. Little did Stephanie know that Paul already knew her dirty little secret. She looked at him and walked up to him wondering what his motive was. "Why would you think something out of the ordinary would make me feel sick?"

He reached into his breast pocket and showed her something she never thought he would get his hands on. Her eyes widened and jaw dropped.

"Paul, where did you get that?" she asked in a shaky voice. "I don't know, Steph. Maybe… your drawer at work." He revealed. Her body began to shake with rage. "It was you! You took it!" she screamed. She tried to snatch it from his hand but he moved away from her before she started hitting him. "Give it to me!" she demanded and chased him around the Study. "Are you fucking kidding me, Steph?" he asked her standing behind the chair. Stephanie wasted no time and crawled over the desk to get to Paul but he got out of the way saving himself.

He made his way out of the Study as Stephanie followed behind him hitting his shoulders and back hoping he would let go of the vial. He entered the bedroom and without warning, Stephanie started throwing items at him. Whatever she could get her hands on, a picture frame, a vase, and a hairbrush were thrown at Paul. Some did hit him, others missed and shattered against the wall. She ran and jumped on his shoulders hoping to grab it out of his hand but he lost his balance and both fell onto their bed.

"Give me the vial!" she screamed. Paul refused to let go and tried pushing his wife off of him but the two rolled around the bed and fell off. Both groaned and looked around. Paul no longer had the vial in his possession. It had rolled across the room and both he and Stephanie spotted it. Stephanie jumped up to her feet as did Paul, but instead of going after the drug, he went after her. He grabbed her and held her tightly in his arms as she cried and begged him to let her go.

"Shhh. Shhh, just calm down, Steph. Just calm down." He quietly told her. She struggled and hoped he would let go but it was no use. She gave up and dropped herself onto the floor. Panting, he noticed that a couple of buttons were ripped off during the struggle. He looked down when something caught his eye on the floor between the bed and nightstand. He bent down and picked up the blue wrapper that was peeking out.

"What the hell is this?" he asked Stephanie. He held it up in front of Stephanie. It was the condom Peter had use over the weekend when she invited him over. Stephanie could not believe all this was happening at once. "Paul, that's not how it looks, okay? You're taking –"

"You slept with another man in _our_ bed!?" he exclaimed. His face turned red with fury and he began shaking. "Paul, just calm down. It's not what it looks like." She tried explaining. "So tell me! What is going on with you!? You're getting drunk, getting high, sleeping around… with another man! In our own home!" he screamed at her. Stephanie began crying again but Paul did not buy the crocodile tears one bit. "How many times, Steph? Huh? How many –"

"Just once. Over the weekend. When you were away." She admitted quietly. He was speechless. She admitted that she was unfaithful to him. "Oh my God. That's where you went," he started and faced her. "When we had that fight. You went to see him!" he realized after putting all the pieces together. Stephanie shook her head and held his hand tightly. "No. No, no, Paul it's not like that. It meant nothing. I love you, okay? Just you." She said in between the sobs.

Paul pulled away and sighed. "No. No, you don't. Because the moment you touched this other guy… your love for me disappeared."

"That is _not_ true, Paul! Every time I –"

"Every time you what? Huh? Every time you what? Every time you slept with him!? Every time you slept with him you regretted it!?" he screamed. Stephanie covered her ears and began crying harder. She got up and paced back and forth trying to think of excuses.

"That's why you cried that morning when you came back from seeing your 'friend', isn't it? You slept with him and felt so ashamed. So… guilty. That's why you slept with me a couple of weeks ago. You… Oh my God, you slept with him the night before and felt guilty."

He began putting all the pieces together and his eyes widened when he finally solved it. He followed Stephanie to the window where she held onto the ledge, bawling and continued to hammer her down.

"When I asked where you were… you said the lake. I _knew_ you were lying. You snuck out of the house and I heard you start your car and drive away. You snuck out… and you slept… with him. Then you came back home and hopped back into bed with me, _knowing_ what you did just hours before. You thought I wouldn't notice. You thought you would get away with it and you came back home, came back to bed as though you did nothing wrong. As though what you did was as normal as going downstairs for a glass of water. You slept with another man while I was here and you came crawling back thinking what you did was perfectly acceptable!?"

He watched her cry for a moment then started making his way to the door. At the corner of her eye, Stephanie saw him and grabbed onto his leg.

"Let go of me!" he barked. "No! No, I won't let you go. Paul, please!" she begged and cried hoping to get a chance to explain her mistakes. He ignored her pleas and attempted to make his way to the door as Stephanie held onto his leg. Finally he gave up and looked down at her. The vial at his feet and he picked it up off the floor and studied it.

"Here," he said and threw the vial at her. "You may need this. Maybe you and your boyfriend can enjoy getting high and having all the sex you want."

Stephanie crawled to the vial that was just inches away from her and Paul watched in her disgust. He shook his head in disappointment before exiting and slamming the door behind him.

Stephanie throws the vial across the room and screamed in agony before laying on the floor as she cried and pounded the floor. How could she be so stupid? She was always so careful. Now her entire world is crumbling before her eyes.


	13. Stay Away

**Stephanie  
**_Urgent! I need to see you. Now!  
11:25PM_

**Peter  
**_Everything okay?  
11:31PM_

**Stephanie  
**_I'll explain when I see you. I'm on my way.  
11:33PM_

**Peter  
**_Okay. I'll be up.  
11:34PM_

Peter fixed his place up and as he waited for her arrival, he took out a pack cigarettes. He lit one up and anxiously waited. He didn't have a good feeling about this meeting. Why was it urgent? What happened? What was so important that she couldn't call or text him about it? He got up and went into the kitchen and made himself a drink to calm down. After about an hour, he heard a car pull up to his driveway. He put the glass in the sink and at that moment, the door rang. He went over and opened the door.

"Hi"

"Who are you?" Peter asked with his eyes popped out of his head.

"Who were you expecting? Stephanie? My wife?" Paul asked. Peter immediately closed the door but before he succeeded, Paul stopped him and made his way through the door.

"Dude, I don't know what you want from me, okay, but I think you got the wrong person." Peter lied. "No. I'm pretty sure I got the right place. I mean, you did send her your address a few nights ago. In fact… she even asked how you got her number. Man, she must have been so hammered because she couldn't even remember giving you her number." Paul said with sarcasm. Peter knew it was time to give up the fake act and come to terms that he got caught.

"I'm gonna give you two options. We can do this the easy way… or we can do it the hard way. Trust me when I tell you, the hard way isn't gonna be pretty." Paul warned him. Compared to Peter, Paul was a good half a foot taller than him and in terms of physique, Paul weighed about 260 whereas Peter weighed 190. With that said, it was a clear choice that Peter did not want to mess with Paul and cooperated.

"Good. Now let's start from the beginning. How did you meet Steph?" he asked. Peter laughed and shook his head. "Man, I can't tell you."

Paul laughed with him and punched him in the stomach causing Peter to fall to the floor groaning in pain. "Told you the hard way wasn't gonna be pretty. Now get up!" Paul replied and he picked him up off the floor. Peter held his stomach and gasped for air. "Okay. Okay." He said holding himself up against the wall. Paul, annoyed at his weak he was, stood over him, grabbed him by the collar and picked him up onto his feet. "For a guy, you're fucking weak as hell. I don't know what she was thinking when she was fucking you." Paul said with a smile, insulting his strength. Peter looked at him for a moment before pushing Paul's arms off. "You know what she was thinking? She was thinking 'When will I be able to see him again… because the orgasms I get from Peter, I can't get from my own husband.' At least I was able to give her something you couldn't. The moans, the screams… 'Oh, yes! Oh, Peter!' the begging for more. She couldn't get enough of me." Peter responded evilly.

His face was beet red and his body was shaking. It took all of Paul's strength not to beat him into a bloody mess. He stepped away from Peter for a second before his fist made contact with the wall, just inches away from Peter's head.

"I'll tell you something, though. You're a lucky guy. She is wild in bed. With or without a high."

Paul heard just about enough. He threw a punch and continued until Peter's face was almost unrecognizable. After he was done, Peter rolled around spitting out blood and groaning in pain. Paul shook his hand from the pain and wiped the blood off with his pants.

"You finished?" Paul asked curiously. Peter sat up against the wall, catching his breath and groaning from pain. He wiped the blood from his nose and mouth before looking up at Paul.

"It was at a… social gathering for lack of a better term. I had no idea she was coming. She looked nervous but I calmed her down. All night she drank and got high as I talked with her. I asked why come to a place like this when she's got everything in the world. She said, with that seductive voice, when you have everything in the world, you want more. Few days later, she was at a secret poker game. I didn't expect to see her again after our first encounter but there she was. She asked how the whole thing works so I explained everything. She's a fast learner, I'll tell you that, because by the end of the night, she made a nice chunk of change. Let's just say we both got lucky that night," Peter joked before inhaling sharply. His cheeks were cut and hurt when he laughed. "Yeah I sent her a text later on asking to see her. Maybe I _was_ falling for her. All I know is I couldn't stop thinking about her and I wanted to see her. The sex, the drugs, and the booze made a great combination. Together, it made us want each other. She came that night and we fucked each other good. By the time I woke up, she was gone though. Hopped back into bed with you, I guess. After all, you didn't wanna wake up and find your own wife missing, right? But the jackpot was when you were away. 'I wanna do 2 things: get high… and you'. Once we got high… the sex we had… in _your_ bed… that award goes to Steph. You've got a daredevil, there, bro. I gotta say, maybe because it was her own bed… but it was definitely the best sex ever. Once my lips touched her body in your bedroom, she couldn't wait for me to rip her clothes off and fuck her. I teased her and made her beg. She wanted it so bad. She never once hesitated or stopped. I've never heard her scream that loud. I can't take all the credit though. She's an animal in bed. Every time I teased her, she wanted me to get straight to the point and make her moan. She wanted control and I laid back, literally, and let her go for a ride… if you catch my drift."

Peter laughed as he taunted Paul with every detailed description. Paul crouched down and looked right into his eyes. He picked him up off the floor and pinned him against the wall choking him.

"What I did to you was just a fraction of what I'll do to you if I ever see you again. Stay away from my wife."

With that said, Paul released him and left his home as Peter watched laughing.


	14. Blindsided

Paul pulled up to his driveway and sat in his car for a moment. He thought about everything that's happened within the past 12 hours. It was a ton of bricks that hit him but he knew he had to fix this situation not only for the sake of marriage but for the sake of the family. He didn't want their kids to see their mother in bad shape. He had to do whatever he could in his power to save Stephanie from destroying herself, her marriage, and her family.

Tired and worn out, Paul dragged his hands down to face to wake himself up. He turned off his car and got out. He took the entrance to his home from inside the garage rather than going through the front door. Just when he did, he saw Stephanie with her cell phone in her hand. She looked up and saw him standing across from her. Without a sound she walked right up to him and smacked him across the face.

"You fucking bastard." She said with disgust. Paul knew what she was referring to but stood there silently. He stepped aside and all he wanted to do was go upstairs and rest but that was not going to happen. Stephanie grabbed his arm and swung it with all her might trying to swing his body too. Paul ignored her and continued to make his way up the stairs. She ran up a few steps ahead of him and blocked his path. "What's the matter, Paul? Too coward to say anything? Heard the truth and realized just how much I was better off without you? Felt a little jealous?" she taunted.

Paul looked at his wife, only this wasn't his wife. This was someone else. Someone he's never met before.

_What happened to the Stephanie I fell in love with and married? What happened to the mother of my children?_

Another hit to the face! "Say something!" she yelled. Paul grabbed her by the arm and dragged her down the stairs. He didn't want to hurt her but he also didn't want her to think he was okay with the behavior she was displaying especially when their children were just feet away sleeping in their rooms. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, he lifted her up over his shoulders and took her outside. As Stephanie fought back and punched his shoulders, Paul put up with the strikes and continued walking. When they arrived at their guest house, which was a short 2 minute walk, he put her down and closed the door.

"What the hell are we doing here?" she demanded. "You must be fucking out of your mind to think I'm going to argue with you when the girls are right behind you sleeping." Paul explained to her. Stephanie paused. She had forgotten all about her kids.

"Yeah. The girls. Remember them? What exactly have you remembered since you started getting high and drinking? The only things on your mind were when you're gonna drink and get high again. Oh yeah and let's not forget when you were going to see your sex partner again for another sexcapade! It seems like everything else just disappeared from your mind!" Paul yelled. "You had no right to go through my phone!" she screamed. "I had every right to! I have a responsibility to look after my wife and kids! I wanted to find the bastard who did this to you!"

"By looking through my phone and tricking him? He did nothing to me! He didn't rape me! He didn't drug me! I did that! I did it all on my own because I wanted it! And he was just a source I went to." she exclaimed. "Steph, this guy saw how vulnerable you were and noticed you were willing to do anything and he jumped at that opportunity, dammit! He gave you what you wanted in exchange for something he wanted!" Paul replied.

"That is _not_ how it went, Paul! I drank and I got high because it felt good! It took away the pain I was feeling. The stress I was under! Peter happened to be there the whole time. And each time I took a look at him, he looked sexier and sexier. He would put his hands on me and I never made him stop once. I'd kiss him and he was all over me. He was _everywhere_." She told him maniacally as she ran her hands all over her body and through her hair giving Paul a visual.

Paul had about enough and grabbed her by the shoulders. Stephanie wasn't feeling afraid of him. In fact, she challenged him to become angrier. She laughed and wanted to see just how far she can go with him before breaking him.

"What's the matter, Paul? Getting angry? I can sense it. I can see that look in your face. You can picture it, can't you? Me, naked… rolling around between the sheets with him. Screaming out his name. Telling him to go harder? Huh? My nails dug into his back? My legs around his waist? Giggling and kissing him? Is that the picture in your mind?" she said with an evil smirk.

"You have lost your mind." He told her and let go of her. "No, Paul. That would be you! When you took _my_ phone and pretended to be me!" Stephanie screamed. "It was the only way for me to make things right! I love you, dammit! I don't want to see you get hurt! I almost lost you once in that accident and I sure as hell don't want you to go through another close call like that again! You were in the hospital for a month! You had tubes up your nose! You couldn't speak or walk without therapy! You wanna go through that again? You have 3 girls now! You want them growing up with a drug addicted, alcoholic mother? Do you even want to be a mother!?" he asked reminding her of the struggles she had last time and what finally motivated her to get help.

Stephanie gave him a chilling look and shook her head in disbelief. "How dare you use our kids to justify your actions!" she replied. "Justify my actions? Are you out of your mind? I'm using our kids as a reminder of who you'll be losing if you continue drinking and getting high!" Paul explained. "I love those girls just as much as you do and you know I would never do anything stupid to make myself seem like a bad mother in front of them!" she fired back. "Right. But behind their backs you would." He said calmly.

Shocked, Stephanie grabbed the sculpture that was sitting on the coffee table and threw it across the room but luckily missed Paul and hit the wall instead. She darted at him but Paul grabbed onto her and held her in a bear lock.

"Why?" she screamed as she cried. Both fell to the floor and Paul refused to let her go. He held her tightly in his arms reminding her that he was there to comfort her and that he's on her side, not against her. "Because I love you. I can't see you get hurt. Not again." He answered as he cried with her. He let go of her and got up on his feet. He helped her get up and just as she did, she wiped her tears and sighed.

"Paul… you had no right to look through my office. You looked through all my personal stuff. You even looked through my phone! How could you?" she asked. "Steph, I wasn't left with much of a choice! You were acting so strange and all we were doing was fighting. I needed to get my answers. I know I went too far but I needed to know why you were acting this way!" Paul explained without trying to raise his voice. "But to look through my own phone?" she asked desperately seeking an answer. "Come on, Steph. You really think I'm gonna just sit back and let the guy who slept with you get away with it? If I slept with some woman you would damn well hunt her down and kill her."

Stephanie's eyes widen. "You didn't… Paul please don't tell me you hurt him!" she asked with a look of concern. "Are you actually fucking concerned about his well being? Really?" he asked in shock. "Paul… what did you do to him?" Stephanie asked sternly. He stood there silently refusing to answer. Stephanie repeated only with more anger. "I beat his ass. And let me tell you something, Steph… it felt good. His blood on my hands. Every punch across that face. Every groan. He deserved every bit of that beating. He is lucky I didn't send him to the hospital." He admitted.

"How did you get in?" she asked trying to stay as calm as possible. Paul did not want to get anyone else involved and tried to walk around the question. "It doesn't matter how I got in, Steph, the fact of –"

"How did you get into my office?" she asked again only this time more loudly and with more anger in her voice. Paul sighed "Your mother gave me the key to your office."

Stephanie's jaw dropped. "You told my mother!?"

Stephanie turned around and tried hard to keep her emotions together before going crazy. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath in and exhaled.

"I want a divorce."

She opened her eyes and saw his expression from the reflection on the mirror hanging in front of them. Within seconds, shock turned into anger. Breathing heavily, he walked past her and slammed the door behind him causing the items that were hung up on the wall to fall.


	15. 24 Hours later

Stephanie arrived at Peter's home and rang the bell. She was impatient and also knocked on her door several times until Peter finally opened the door. "Oh, my God." She gasped. She couldn't believe at just how bad the damage was done by Paul. Without hesitation, Peter closed the door on her. Confused and insulted, she opened the door and stormed her way in.

"Hey! I come to see how you are and you close the door on me?"

"Maybe you didn't get a closer look at the work your husband did on me!" Peter yelled back. "I did and I am livid with him for what he did to you! I came to see you!" Stephanie explained. Peter walked right up to her and leaned over to whisper in her ear. "Well I guess he left something out. He doesn't want me anywhere near you."

Stephanie moved her head and the two looked at each other. "He doesn't control me. And he sure as hell doesn't control you." She told him. "Well he certainly took control of the situation." He told her and pointed to his face. "Peter, I know he went too far and I've got it under control. You just need to trust me on this." She assured him. Peter shook his head and opened the door. "I'm not willing to take chance. I'm sorry." He said. "If you think I'm going to leave that easily, you are sadly mistaken." Stephanie said reminding him of her personality. Fed up, Peter closed the door and sat her down.

"Face it, Stephanie. It's over. This. You. Me. The drugs. It's all over. You got caught!" Peter explained. "Me? You were in on this just as much as I was. I am not the one to be blamed entirely, Peter! You are just as guilty as I am!" Stephanie replied. "Me? Are you fucking kidding me? I'm not exactly a Saint, Steph, but you aren't either. You asked for me! I wasn't the one calling you up every time and asking to come over and get high! I wasn't the one begging for sex!" he pointed out.

"Are you really going to put all the blame on me? Every time we saw each other you would whip out the fucking coke and say 'Oh wait, I have something to make this night even better' or 'Oh wait, take this… it'll help us out'. Don't you fucking put all the blame on me! You kept providing me with it!" she screamed. "You could've said no!" he fired back. "I was drunk! I wasn't thinking! You took advantage of that opportunity!" she snapped. Peter's jaw dropped. He could not believe at how Stephanie was acting and blaming him for everything. He felt betrayed and offended.

"You know what? I can see why your husband was so suspicious. You're cold hearted and a hypocrite." He said and opened the door for her to leave. Without a word, she left his home and got into her car. She drove off his property and at the corner she stopped and parked her car. All the anger in her body turned into heartache.

She sat in her car and began to cry uncontrollably. Her whole life was falling apart. She lost her husband, lost control of her life, and was afraid of losing her family. She drove away without any clue as to where to go.

At dawn, Paul was already awake after almost an unforgettable 24 hours. He went and woke each girl up and got them ready for school. As the girls went to get ready, he went downstairs and quickly made them breakfast: waffles with strawberries and blueberries on top. All the while, the only thing on his mind was the whereabouts of his wife. He thought maybe she spent the night at the guest house to get some space. Once breakfast was ready, he set the table and as he waited, he wrote three notes for the girls' teachers.

Later on the girls came down and had breakfast.

"Where's mommy?" Vaughn asked.

"Mommy wasn't feeling too good. She has a nasty stomach virus. So she went to sleep at the guest house that way no one gets sick. Aurora has her school play soon, Murphy has the trip to the zoo and you have a class party coming up." Paul told her.

"Can we go give her breakfast?" Murphy asked.

"She is probably sleeping right now, baby. I was with her all night and she didn't go to sleep till a little while ago. We can save her some breakfast and later on when she wakes up, I'll go bring it to her." Paul replied.

"Is mom going to be okay?" Aurora asked.

Paul paused and wondered the answer to that question. He smiled and nodded. "Yeah. Your mom will be just fine. I'll take good care of her. Which reminds me! I wrote notes for your teachers. Mommy can't pick you up today so Lucy, your nanny, will. Put the note in your folders and give it to your teacher right away." He said and handed each the girls their notes. He watched them put the notes in their folder before zipping their backpacks and coming back to the table. He looked at his watch and noticed it was getting late.

"Hey! Come on, you're gonna be late for school. Let's march!" he announced. He picked up Vaughn and carried her as he held Murphy's hand. Aurora walked beside her father and all three got into the car. Paul dropped them off at school before heading back home.

Stephanie was sitting on the hood of her car and watched the sunrise from the lake. The very same lake she mentioned to her husband and lied about. She looked and watched the ducks swimming and thinking about everything that happened.

Paul was at work trying hard to focus but it was an impossible task. During meetings and conferences he was zoned out and many board members and executives had to call for his attention multiple times.

"I'm going to step out for a bit, guys. Not feeling too good today. Continue the meeting." Paul said and left the conference room. He sat at his desk and looked at the family portrait on his desk. He got up and left his office. He walked down the hall and knocked on Stephanie's door hoping that she'd be there. Unfortunately there was no answer. He opened the door, to his surprise, and entered. He looked around and saw that the room was intact. The only thing still on her desk was the glass she drank from. He picked it up and thought about how much power that glass had over her. He had the urge to smash it against the wall but knew it wasn't the best idea. He set it back down where he found it and left the room before he did something he'd regret. He went back to his meetings but the only thing on his mind was Stephanie and how she was doing.


	16. They're My Kids, Too

Stephanie returned home from the lake and because she had the house to herself, she was free to do whatever she wanted. She remembered everything that happened last night and rather than feeling hurt, she was full of rage. There was so much anger inside her that she screamed at the top of her lungs. She went to search for her bottles and brought them all upstairs. She placed each one on top of the coffee table and stared at them.

"You. All this is because of you." She spoke to the bottles. She truly began losing her mind. She picked up a bottle and opened it. She drank as much as she could before pulling it away from her lips and gasping for air. She lost all control of her emotions and began crying. She dropped the bottle on the floor and she too dropped herself onto the floor. She brought her knees to her chest and rocked back and forth telling herself everything will be okay. She took another bottle and began drinking that one until she ran out of breath and gasped for air. She placed the bottle on the table but accidentally knocked down the other bottle and spilling it all over the table.

Stephanie growled and hit herself on the head. "You idiot! Can't you do anything right?" she scolded herself. She fixed the bottles and with struggle, got up on her feet. She took a sip from the bottle once more before attempting to make it to the kitchen.

Everything was a blur to her. She wobbled and walked into things and knocked things over. She tripped over herself several times but managed to maintain her balance before falling down hard and hurting herself. She rubbed her elbow and moved her arm to make sure no bones were broken.

"Okay, good." She said to herself. She slowly got to her knees and held onto the wall for support. It took a while but she finally stood up and continued her way to the kitchen.

When she reached the kitchen, she fumbled through the countertop until she could finally get her hands on the paper towel and made her way back to the living room. She put the bottles on the opposite site of the table and wiped the spilled alcohol off the table. Walking back to the kitchen was not going to be an option for her. She had difficulty once and she wasn't going to try again. She left the alcohol soaked paper towels on top of the coffee table and continued with her binge drinking.

Several hours later, Stephanie woke up after passing out on the living room floor. She looked at the time and noticed the girls will be getting out of school soon. She looked for her bag and found her keys before getting up and walking out of the house. She got into her car and made her way to the school.

She sped down the street and screeched the car once she reached the front of the school. She stepped out of her car and put her dark sunglasses on. Looking at her watch, she noticed she was 15 minutes early but it was fine, picking them up a few minutes early wouldn't hurt. In fact, she hadn't seen her girls in a while and it would be a nice treat for them. She made her way up the stairs and greeted the school security guard.

"Hi. I'm here to pick up my kids." Stephanie told the guard. The guard noticed the smell of alcohol on her. He didn't say a word but simply asked for her identification. He filled out his sign in sheet with her information and the time and told her to go down the hall to the main office. As Stephanie made her way down the hall, the guard called the office to warn them about her arrival.

Stephanie arrived at the office and placed her sunglasses on top of her head. Her eyes were bloodshot from the drinking and her erratic behavior was more than enough for them to realize that she was going to be a problem.

"Hello? Anyone free to look up and see if there is a parent waiting?" she asked rudely.

A secretary looked up and walked up to the front desk and asked how she can help her. The other secretary was observing Stephanie from the back and remembered the call she got from the security guard.

"Well it's about time. I'm here to pick up my girls. Aurora, Murphy, and Vaughn Levesque." Stephanie told her. The secretary from the back heard the name and immediately made a phone call.

"Oh, you're Vaughn's mother. Pleasure to meet you. Vaughn is the sweetest little girl. Comes in all the time with the attendance and hands it to me. So polite. She always says good morning and have a nice day to me." The secretary said trying to stall her from picking up her kids. "Well her mother taught her well." Stephanie said proudly with a smile. "You did a wonderful job, I must say." The secretary replied.

Just then, the principal appeared. He was a tall thin man in his early 40's wearing a black suit. He smiled at Stephanie and introduced himself to her. Stephanie thought it was a bit strange that the staff was complimenting her on her children's behavior but not calling them down.

"Ms. McMahon, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm the principal, Mr. Aronofsky."

"Pleased to meet you." She replied and shook his hand.

"Please. Come on into my office. Get comfortable as you wait for your girls." He insisted. "No, thank you. I think I'll just wait for my girls out here." Stephanie responded right away. "I assure you, Ms. McMahon, sometimes it takes a while for children to come down to the office. Packing up, copying homework. Especially when the end of the day nears." He explained. Stephanie didn't see any harm and reluctantly agreed. The principal let her go first and behind her back, he turned around and looked at the secretaries and nodded. They immediately went to work as Stephanie sat and waited for her girls.

"How are you, Mc. McMahon? Comfortable? Would you like some water?" Mr. Aronofsky politely offered. Stephanie, with her legs crossed, leaned her body to the right side of the chair and looked at the principal. "Why don't you cut the crap and tell me why you aren't letting me see my girls?" Stephanie bluntly asked. Mr. Aronofsky laughed and sat behind his desk across from Stephanie. "Ms. McMahon, we were informed that you were not picking up the girls today, but someone by the name of Lucy." Mr. Aronofsky informed her. "Yes, well I managed to get some free time and would like to pick up _my daughters_. As a mother I have the right to see and pick up my daughters from school." Stephanie replied. "As a parent, yes you do. But we were also informed not to release the girls to you." Mr. Aronofsky replied.

Stephanie laughed and knew exactly who would be behind this. "You tell my husband, the next time he calls, that he does not call the shots." Stephanie warned him.

"You can tell me yourself, Steph." Paul said behind her. She turned around and saw him standing at the entrance of the principal's office. She got up and tried to get past Paul but he wouldn't allow her. "Paul, get out of my way." She demanded. "No. Steph, you need to sit and wait." He instructed her. "Wait for what? I'm not waiting for anyone unless it's my girls." She told him.

"I will give you two some privacy." Mr. Aronofsky said and stepped out of his office closing the door behind him.

"You are some pig, you know that?" Stephanie told her husband. "And you are drunk again." Paul pointed out. "Shut up! You shut up, dammit and you let me go see my girls!" Stephanie demanded. "Don't you dare. Don't you even dare start a scene here in the school. You've already embarrassed yourself enough. Don't you dare do it in front of school administration." Paul said through his teeth with his jaw tightened. "You just think you can control me, huh, Paul? Is that it?" she asked. "That's not it at all. You are out of line again and you smell like a bar." Paul pointed out. Stephanie stared at him but neither broke the stare. "I am going to see my girls. I am taking them home." She said and tried pushing him out of the way but Paul held her and told her to compose herself. Stephanie was left with no choice but to maintain herself. She did not want to cause a scene and embarrass herself.

"We are going home. And we are going to have a long talk. When we leave this office, don't you dare start anything. Do you understand?" Paul warned. Stephanie rolled her eyes. Paul opened the door and he apologized to the principal before exiting the school with his wife.

Each went home in their own cars but the moment they entered the house, it was a completely different story. Stephanie went upstairs as Paul followed right behind him.

"How dare you! You made sure I never got to pick up my children!" Stephanie replied. "Because I was afraid you'd be drinking or you'd be high! I don't want my children near you if you're going to be this way!" Paul screamed. "I was perfectly fine to drive!" Stephanie fired back. "You were driving like a maniac, Stephanie! Speeding! You're lucky you never got pulled over!" Paul said. "Oh come on, Paul!" Stephanie said. "I'm warning you… you stay away from those girls. Until you clean up your act, you aren't allowed anywhere near them." He warned her. "They're _my_ children too, Paul! I have the right to see them!" Stephanie screamed. "Well you haven't been acting like the responsible parent! Who woke the girls up the past few weeks and got them ready for school? Who cooked breakfast for the girls every morning? Who checked their homework every night? Who tucked them in bed and wished them goodnight? All me! While I was being the good father, you were out getting high and fucking some guy!" he fired back.

Stephanie placed her hands on her ears to tune him out and entered the bathroom. She locked the door and Paul tried to open the door but it was no use.

"Oh very mature, Steph. Open the damn door! Enough with this! This is becoming a sick joke now with you! You need help and you know you do! I don't want the girls to see you get yourself hurt!" Paul said. He tried again but the door was still locked. He banged on the door a few times before stepping back and thinking about what to do.

"Steph?" he asked quietly. He waited a moment but heard silence come from the other side of the door. He wriggled the doorknob but it wouldn't open.

"Steph, open the fucking door! Open the door, it's not funny anymore!" he shouted then suddenly the door opened.

Stephanie walked out of the bathroom and stared at Paul. She heard the girls come home and immediately she ran downstairs to greet them. Paul followed quickly behind her.

"Mommy!" Vaughn called out and ran to Stephanie. Stephanie picked her up and gave her a big kiss. "Oh, my baby. I missed you. I love you so much." She told her youngest daughter and kissed her face all over. She put her down and went to hug Murphy and Aurora. "Remember I always love you. No matter what." She told them.

Paul noticed bottles spread out across the living room floor and pulled out the sliding doors to make sure their daughters don't see. He whispered to Lucy to take the girls upstairs and help them with homework as he and Stephanie have a talk outside.

"I need to speak with you for a moment." Paul addressed Stephanie. "In a moment, let me speak to the girls." Stephanie said in a rude tone. "Now." He said sternly.

"Um, mom. We do have a lot of homework we need get started on." Aurora told her mother, sensing the anger in her father's voice. Stephanie eyed Paul then Aurora before smiling at her. "Sure, honey. Go ahead. I'll come up later to check up on you girls." She told them and the girls raced upstairs to their rooms with Lucy following behind them.

"What was that about?" Stephanie demanded. "You and I need to talk outside. Where the girls can't hear." He told her. He led her to the guest house where things were not going to be pretty.

"You leave bottles everywhere for the girls to see, you make a scene at the school, you go there reeking of alcohol, hell probably even buzzed! And you have the audacity to say you have a right to see the kids?" Paul questioned her. "They are my kids, Paul. I have _every_ right to see them." Stephanie fired back. "Things are gonna change around here, Steph. You brought this onto yourself. From now on, you have _no_ right to pick up the girls from school, drop them off at school… hell… consider yourself lucky if I even let you _see_ the girls ever again." Paul threatened. Stephanie nodded and smirked. "You want a war? You've got it." She said and stormed out of the guest house.


	17. Game On

A few days later, Stephanie entered the office and greeted everyone. No one greeted her back the way they normally would, with smiles and jokes. This time it was different. At first she didn't notice but when her own secretary didn't greet her, she had a funny feeling. She went to her office but didn't have access. The door was locked and she walked over to her secretary, Dana.

"Dana, why is my door locked?"

"I'm sorry, Ms. McMahon. It was the order from your father to keep it locked."

"Did anyone go in?" a worried Stephanie asked. "Your father and security had entered earlier." She answered. Stephanie panicked and became frantic. "God, Dana. Did they take anything? Why didn't you call me right away?" she asked as her voice clearly went from calm to nervous. "I'm sorry Ms. McMahon but I was told by your father not to contact you." She answered. "Dana, did they _take_ anything?" Stephanie asked again as she placed her hands on top of the counter. "I'm sorry, Ms. McMahon I did not see."

Stephanie was clearly getting nervous and looking around everywhere. She went and searched for her father who was in his office.

"Dad, we need to talk." Stephanie told him as soon as she entered his office. Vince looked at her with a puzzled look. Stephanie stood right across from his desk and crossed her arms. "Yes we do need to talk, Stephanie. You had better explain yourself right now." Vince replied and pulled out the water bottles from under his desk. Stephanie's eyes widened and her jaw fell to the floor.

"Explain it all, Stephanie. Just what were you trying to do? Hide alcohol and make us all believe you had water in there? Drink during work hours? Do you have any idea how much trouble you've gotten yourself into?" Vince asked. "Dad, it isn't like that at all. I don't drink on the job all the time, just when –" Stephanie explained. "So you admit that you do?" Vince interrupted. "I'm not an alcoholic, dad. I have a drink once in a while if I feel the pressure." Stephanie explained. "Stephanie, you do know how bad this looks on you, don't you? Being that you are a principal owner… you just took a huge risk." Vince replied. "Dad… come on, it's not like I was drunk at work. You've seen my performance. I am as professional as the next person that walks through this door." Stephanie said in a desperate attempt to try and change his view about her.

Vince sat behind his desk and sighed heavily. He pushed the manila folder towards Stephanie without saying a word. Stephanie was suspicious and took a look at what was inside the folder.

"What is this?" she asked as she looked through the files. "I'm sure you know exactly what those papers state." Vince answered. Stephanie closed the folder and slammed the folder down onto his desk. "I am _not_ stepping down! This is my company too! I helped you make it what it is today! Without my help, WWE would've been down in shambles." Stephanie said responding to Vince's request. Vince stood up and laughed at his daughter. She sure had the guts to stand up to her father and deny the request. "Stephanie, you have no choice. Either step down as principal owner or you lose ownership of this company permanently." He threatened her. "And what if I don't?" she asked. "Well… you lose ownership of the company. Everything you ever received from WWE will be taken from you. Every penny you earned will be taken back. Anything that relates to you and WWE will be erased. You will no longer have any part of the WWE if you don't do as requested." Vince said.

Stephanie took a look at the files one more time flipped the pages to find something.

"Step down for 6 months? Dad, we have so many meetings and projects within the next 6 months, losing me will only ruin the company." She explained. "I did very well without you before. I can do it again." He replied. "This was Paul's idea, wasn't it? He was the one that put you up to this to punish me. For everything I did to him." Stephanie concluded. "No, this was not his idea at all! It was my idea to come up with the 6 month suspension." Vince explained. "But Paul's idea to go running to you and tattle on me? To tell you that I have alcohol hidden in my office? Why else would you have suddenly entered my office and tell Dana not to contact me?" Stephanie asked. "Paul did tell me what he saw but I did not want to believe anything until I saw it for myself. Turns out, he was right. You cannot risk your job over a few sips, Stephanie. It is unprofessional. It is dangerous. It is risky. I will not allow this until you clear up your act." Vince warned.

Stephanie stood there and thought about her decisions. It was either take a 6 month leave of absence or lose ownership of the company and anything related to the company forever.

"What happens after 6 months?" she asked. "You come back. We will monitor you for some time, there will be random searches in your office. If we see you screw up once, you get another 3 months suspension. The second time will result in a firing. You will lose everything. I don't care if you are my daughter. I will treat you the same way I treat the rest of my employees." Vince explained. A distraught Stephanie rubbed the back of her neck and sighed. She looked at the papers one more time to make sure she knew what she was up against. She grabbed a pen but was hesitant on signing. Either way she knew she was going to lose but not signing would only make matters worse. She looked through the papers one last time, really paying attention to every single detail written out. After almost 20 minutes of reading and looking through pages to double check certain clauses, she signed the papers. She handed the folder to Vince and stormed out.

Stephanie got into her car. She was furious and hurt. Working for the WWE was her life. Not working for 1 day was bad. Not working for 6 months was like a death sentence for her.

Back home, Paul decided to work from home instead of going into the office. He took a break from his busy schedule and called the nanny.

"Lucy, hey. Listen, when you pick up the girls, do me a favor. The weather is nice and it's a Friday. Take them out for some ice cream after school. It'll be a nice treat and surprise for them."

"Absolutely. Is there anything you need to get done?" Lucy asked.

"No. I think that's good for now. Appreciate it, Lucy. Thanks."

Paul hung up and continued his work.

Stephanie pulled up to the driveway and noticed there were police officers standing by the door. She got out of the car and walked up to the door before an officer stopped her.

"Ma'am, you aren't allowed in." an officer informed her.

"Not allowed? This is my home." Stephanie answered. "I understand that ma'am, but you aren't allowed to enter." The officer replied. "Under whose authority?" Stephanie asked.

The front door then opened and Paul emerged.

"You need to get off this property right now, Steph." Paul told her. Stephanie walked up to him, inches away from him, and gave him a cold stare. "You gutless pig. How dare you." She said quietly. "You wanted a war. You've got one. You have no idea what you're in for." Paul said. Stephanie lost it and screamed at him. "I see. It was you! You were behind everything! You did all this to ruin me!"

"Oh come on, now, baby. It was fair in that contract. You had the option of still keeping your job. You just didn't have to work for 6 months. How much more of the American Dream can you get? Getting paid and not even working? I could've convinced your father to disown you entirely but I thought to myself, 'gee… that would only hurt you' and I don't want to see you get hurt. I just want you to get a taste of reality and suffer the consequences."

Stephanie spit at his face. Paul wiped his face and continued to display the smile.

"Officers, please take her away. According to the judge, she's supposed to be staying at the guest house. Unless she is supervised by me, she is not allowed to come into this home." Paul told the officers.

The officers held her by her arms but Stephanie fought back, kicking and screaming as she was dragged away. "Let go of me! Let me go! This is my home, too! This is my home! I want to see my girls!" she screamed.

"Oh wait, wait wait! Officers! Hold on!" Paul called out. He walked up to them and smiled at Stephanie. "You won't be seeing those girls for a long time. See… I decide when you can and cannot see those girls. You left me no choice, Steph. You played games with me… now it's my turn. Game on." Paul taunted her. Her eyed widened and Stephanie could not believe what her husband had done. "No! No! You cannot do this! I want to see my daughters! I want to see my girls! Aurora! Murphy! Vaughn! Let me see my girls! Let me see my daughters!" Stephanie begged as she cried while being dragged away. "Oh guys, do me a favor. Make sure you guard the house. If she takes one step past the pool, arrest her for violating her restraining order." Paul called out with a big smile.

Stephanie heard every word he said and she screamed and kicked as she cried. She refused to let the officers drag her away and struggled to break free but they continued with their orders and held her tight.

"I hate you!," she screamed at Paul. "I wanna go and see my girls! I wanna go see Aurora, Murphy, and Vaughn!" she cried hysterically.

When the three reached the guest home, the officers opened the door and escorted Stephanie inside before leaving and guarding the front door. Stephanie screamed and banged on the door as tears flowed down her face. She turned around and sat on the floor, with her knees up to her chest and chin resting on her knees, Stephanie silently cried.

It was clear she was in trouble but if this was just the beginning… just how much more damage was about to come her way?


	18. Not What She Expected

Aurora, Murphy, and Vaughn returned home after their ice cream treat and greeted their father.

"You girls had fun?" Paul asked. "Uh huh." Murphy nodded. Paul nodded and kissed his daughters. "Is mom home yet?" Aurora asked. Paul paused for a moment before thinking of an excuse. "Mom is at the guest house for a bit." He replied. "Is mommy still feeling sick?" Vaughn asked. Paul looked down before faking a smile. "Yeah. Mommy is still not feeling too good." He answered sadly. "Can we go see her soon?" Aurora asked. "Uh… she had a rough day today. I'm sure she's resting. How about tomorrow we all go surprise her with breakfast?" Paul suggested. "Yeah!" the girls all said at once. "Good. I'll check on her tomorrow morning before we go and surprise her. I'm sure she'll love it." Paul said. The girls went upstairs and got started on their homework as Paul watched.

At the guest house, Stephanie was going insane. She was walking back and forth in her home convincing herself everything will be okay.

"It's just a few days. That's all. I just need to pretend to be nice and show him I've changed and then I'll be able to see my babies again. That's all. It won't be so bad. I just need to… I just need to… I just need to take a hit and everything will be fine"

She looked in her bag and noticed something she was craving for wasn't in there.

"Fuck! The one day I need a hit and I have none." She said and sighed. Stephanie took out her cell phone and scrolled through her contacts. Peter's name appeared and she was hesitant to send him a text. She sat on the couch and thought about the altercation they had earlier. Was it worth it? What if he really meant it and wants nothing to do with her? She knew the only way to find out was the send him a message and wait for a response.

_**Stephanie**_  
Hey, it's me. Can we talk?  
5:10PM  
Come on, Peter. Please?  
5:20PM  
I know you're pissed at me and I'm sorry. Can we please talk?  
5:25PM

_**Peter  
**_What do you want?  
5:31PM

_**Stephanie  
**_I missed you. I was an idiot. Let me call you. It's a long story.  
5:34PM

Stephanie then called Peter.

"Hey." Peter answered. "Hey." She said.

"How are you?"

"Could've been better." She answered sadly. "Is everything okay?" Peter asked. "Um. Not really," she began as her voice began to crack. "I really need you here." She cried. "Hey, hey, hey. Calm down. Okay? Don't cry. Just tell me where you are. Are you safe?" Peter asked. "I'm at the guest house. It's a long story." Stephanie replied. "All right. Do you wanna meet somewhere?" Peter asked. "Um… I can't really leave." She replied.

"What?"

"I've been forced to stay at the guest house and am not allowed to see my daughters. And the house is guarded." Stephanie explained. "Oh, my God. I'm so sorry. I can't believe you're going through this." Peter said. "I really want to see you." Stephanie said. "But how? You just said the house is guarded." Peter replied.

Stephanie stood up and tried to think of an idea.

"Okay. Um… I did overhear the guards say that they'll take turns doing the night shift. I will create a diversion and once everything is clear, I'll send you a text to sneak in." Stephanie said. "Are you sure it'll work?" Peter asked. "I'm sure. Just park your car like a block away and walk over to the guest house. When you get to my driveway, there's another path to the right that leads to the guest house. Follow that path. By the time you come, the guard will be inside my home. Hopefully. Just wait outside the home and wait for my text. Once it's clear, just quietly enter the guest house and hide somewhere and let me know so I can get rid of him." Stephanie planned out.

"Wow, you really thought this through." An impressed Peter told her. "You forgot who you're speaking to." Stephanie joked. "I'm on my way." Peter said and disconnected the call.

Stephanie jumped for joy and went to action.

"Hey, I'm gonna head on home. I'll see you in the morning. Good luck tonight." An officer told his partner. "Ah, it shouldn't be too difficult. She's been pretty quiet all afternoon and evening. Guess she probably understands how serious it is now." The second officer told him. "Maybe. I'll see you in the morning." The first officer said and headed home.

Stephanie overheard and waited a few minutes. When she knew there would be no distractions, she opened the door and sat on the porch step.

"How's it going?" she asked him. "I should be asking you that question." The officer told her. "I know. You probably don't want to talk to me. I get it. Just thought maybe I could use a friend right now. With everything that happened today, I never knew what loneliness felt like until now." Stephanie said sadly. "I'm really sorry about what happened. To be fair, I did find it a little harsh that you weren't allowed to see your kids." The officer told her. Stephanie's eyes lit up and displayed a big smile. "I'm glad someone else feels the same way." She said. She looked at him for a moment before getting an idea.

"Hey, would you like to come in for a bit? For coffee? You'll be up all night anyway. Maybe some caffeine would help." She suggested. The officer declined at first but then had a change of heart. She welcomed him in and took out her phone. She quickly sent Peter a text to make his way to the guest house as she distracted the officer.

"The dining room is back there. How do you like your coffee?" she asked. "Milk and sugar is fine." He answered. Stephanie opened the cabinet and took out the decaf coffee and made 2 cups of coffee using the coffee machine. Once it was ready, she poured the coffee in 2 mugs and added milk and sweet and low sweetener.

"Hope the coffee is fine." She said with sincerity in her voice. The officer took a sip and enjoyed it. "It's good, thanks. Appreciate it." He answered. "I know I shouldn't ask but I just need to know. How long is this going to go on?" Stephanie asked curiously. "Ohh, I can't really tell you." The officer answered. Stephanie displayed a visible frown and nodded. "I figured."

The officer felt sorry and sighed. "Don't tell anyone okay? This is only supposed to be for 2 weeks. You just need to stay here and make sure you have no drugs or alcohol and maybe, if your husband feels it's fine, he will lift the restraining order." The officer explained. A little shocked, Stephanie raised her eyebrows. "Just 2 weeks? I see. How very thoughtful of him to prove he cares about me. By not letting me be near my own kids." She said. "I know, it sounds harsh but I guess he wasn't left with a choice. Just… I know it'll be hard, but just try to show him you really are trying hard. Maybe he will change his mind earlier than the 2 weeks." The officer suggested. "Maybe." She replied.

"I don't mean to get into your personal business and all, but… why do it? I mean, as a cop, my job is to put a stop to it but I never really asked the person why they chose to do something they knew was illegal." The officer curiously wondered. "Well… that's definitely something you don't expect to hear from a cop," Stephanie laughed. "But… you know with all the stress and pressure that I'm under, sometimes I just want to escape it all. I know, you're gonna say 'why not work out or go somewhere that helps clear your mind?' but to be honest, I did try all that and it didn't help. For one, it took too long to get rid of the stress. I wanted something that will work immediately. Also… as cliché as it sounds… it felt good. I'm not sure how to really describe it, but I feel like a huge weight has been off my shoulder. I feel confident, there's this stimulation you get… you know how you feel when you get when it's freezing in your home and you jump into your warm bed? That's how it sort of feels… only multiply it by 100. The feeling is amazing. The effects are instantaneous. And because it feels so good like that, it makes me want more." Stephanie explained.

The officer could not believe what he heard. For the first time, he had gotten his answer. For Stephanie, it was also the first time she got to explain why she does drugs.

Peter quietly opened the door and stepped inside. He closed the door behind him very quietly and looked around at where to hide. There was a closet next to the door and he slid the door, stepped in, and closed the door. He took out his cell phone and put it on silent before sending her a text that he's in the house.

"Oh! Excuse me. Wonder who that is." Stephanie said when her phone vibrated. She took a look at the text then put the phone away. "It was Paul. He just said the girls wished me a good night." She told the officer. "Ah, okay." The officer replied. "Actually, it is pretty late. I better get some sleep." Stephanie told the officer trying to get rid of him. "Sure. Thank you for the coffee again. And I'm sorry about what you are going through. Just… try to fight the urge. I know it'll be hard but, you know, for your family's sake… try as hard as you can." The officer said. "Thank you for listening. I'll try my best to take your advice." Stephanie replied. "Have a good night." The officer said and made his way out.

Stephanie closed the door behind him and opened the closet where Peter was hiding.

"Hey! Shh, he's outside." Stephanie whispered. Peter didn't care and gave her a kiss. She grabbed him by the hand and the two quietly went into the bedroom on the same floor.

"I missed you." She told him and began kissing him. Peter laughed and pulled back. "Hold on. Is everything okay with us now?" he asked. Stephanie nodded and bit his lower lip. Peter chuckled and kissed her neck. "Wait, wait. Please tell me you brought some coke." She said. "You think I'd forget?" he asked and took out a small bag filled with the drug. Stephanie grabbed it from his hand excitedly and just when she was about to open it, Peter surprised her with more news.

"And when you told me about your situation, I decided to bring you a bigger treat." He said and took out a larger Ziploc bag from his jacket with enough cocaine to last her at least a month. Stephanie could not believe at what he did. She took the bag and placed it on the table before giving him a kiss.

"I want you so bad." She whispered. Peter continued kissing her as the two fell onto the bed. "Wait, wait. First, we need to have a little help." Peter told her and grabbed the small bag of cocaine. He spilled it onto the nightstand and made 2 rows. He took a hit and waited for Stephanie to take her turn. Without even thinking about what she was putting on the line, she took her turn and faced Peter.

"Let the fun begin." He said with a smile. Stephanie jumped onto him and spent the night together. Just moments ago, she opened her heart and explained her struggle… it seemed as though she wasn't struggling after all. Just like everyone else, she also fooled the cop. But how long was going to fool herself?


	19. At Death's Door

Early the next morning, before the girls were up, Paul woke up and made breakfast for everyone. He looked out the window and saw the guest house in the distance. He thought about Stephanie and how much of a horrific night she may have had.

Stephanie woke up and stretched, waking Peter up as well.

"Mmm. Good morning, beautiful." Peter said as he yawned. Stephanie planted a kiss on his lips and the two laughed. "I missed those kisses." She said softly. "Oh yeah?" Peter asked getting closer to her. He gave her another kiss and wrapped his arms around her. "I wish it was like this every morning." She said. "I know. It feels so good having you in my arms." Peter said and kissed her head. Stephanie rested her head on his chest and Peter caressed her arm.

"I'm going to have to figure out how to get you out of here." Stephanie laughed. Peter sat up and realized she's right. He needs to leave without getting caught. Especially since the sun is out, it will be much more difficult.

"Hey, don't worry. I always think of a plan." She said when she faced him. She looked to her right and saw that the bag from last night still had some cocaine left. She reached over and grabbed it and had an idea. "Morning high?" Peter asked. "Why not?" she asked and she sat up beside him. They got dressed and Peter then got the cocaine ready. Stephanie went first and after she took her turn, she looked at Peter and collapsed her body over his. The two giggled as Stephanie started unbuttoning his shirt. "I wanna fuck you so bad right now." She said softly with a smile. Peter let out a soft moan and wrapped his arms around her body as they began kissing in bed.

The doorknob rattled and quietly opened.

"Hey Steph? You awa—" Paul began and before he could even finish his sentence, his worst nightmare came true! Stephanie and Peter jumped out of bed, both shaking in fear. Paul stood for a split second, in shock and in anger before charging at Peter.

"Paul please, it's not what you think!" Stephanie pleaded. "Shut up, Steph!" Paul screamed and began beating Peter. He threw punches left and right before slamming his body against the wall. Peter fell to his knees and tried running away but Paul kicked him in the stomach. Peter groaned loudly in pain as Paul continued to beat him. Stephanie screamed for help and both officers rushed in and tried to break up the fight. Stephanie screamed and begged Paul to stop but Paul wouldn't let the officers pull him away. He continued to beat him through the corridor and eventually ended up in the living room.

"You son of a bitch! I'll fuckin kill you!" Paul yelled. He picked him up and slammed him down on the coffee table, breaking it into pieces. Peter looked as though he was close to death while Paul continued working on his mission to kill him.

"Paul! Stop it, please! Paul, stop!" Stephanie screamed and cried as the officers tried to pull him off. She began to feel weak and dizzy. She began panting heavily and collapsed.

Noticing what just happened, Paul immediately rushed over to the aide of his wife and checked up on her. "Steph? Baby, you okay?" he asked as he shook her gently. There was no response. "Call an ambulance!" he ordered the officers. The officers immediately dispatched for an ambulance to come for both Stephanie and for Peter. Meanwhile, Paul quickly took out his phone and dialed the house.

"Hello?" Lucy answered. "Lucy! Listen carefully, _do not_ let the girls leave the house. Don't let them look outside their windows. Keep them all in one room when they wake up and keep them there until I call you. Understand?" he ordered. "Yes, sir. Is everything okay?" she asked with concern. "I don't know. I don't know, I have to go." He replied and hung up.

Moments later, paramedics rushed inside and asked what happened. They took Stephanie's vitals and noticed they were very low. They immediately rushed both Stephanie and Peter to the hospital in the same ambulance. One paramedic worked on Stephanie, hooking her up to monitors trying to keep her stable while the other paramedic tended to Peter's cuts and bruises. Paul held Stephanie's hand and hoped she would be okay.

When they arrived at the hospital, they rushed Stephanie into the ER and the nurses told Paul that he must wait outside. He did exactly that and paced back and forth impatiently.

Almost an hour later, the doctor found Paul and stood in front of him.

"Mr. Levesque?"

Paul, who was sitting, jumped up and asked how she was.

"Your wife fell into a coma. There were large traces of drugs found in her system. In fact, there were traces of multiple drugs in her system. Doctors managed to flush out all the toxins and are preparing a room for her. Once she is settled you can go visit her." The doctor informed him.

Paul thanked the doctor and when the doctor walked away, Paul fell back into his chair and buried his hands in his face, weeping. He blamed himself for everything. He put so much pressure on her: taking away her job, her kids, and her freedom. He believed he took it too far and forced her to make those decision and make this situation become what it is now.

A nurse passed by pushing Peter in a wheelchair and Paul stood up, walking over to them.

"You. You did this to her." He told Peter. "Me? I'm not the one who made her lose her job. Or lose her children. You did, Paul. Her blood is on _your_ hands. _Not_ mine." Peter responded. Paul bent over and stared him straight in his eyes. "You give me one good reason why I should let you get out of the hospital alive."

Peter smirked. "Because I wasn't the one that made her do this. You pushed her. She was left with no choice. You did this. You lost your wife a long time ago." He said quietly.

Paul resisted the urge to rip his head off right there on the spot. He made a fist and breathed heavily. "You know what they say: third time's a charm. You're a dead man. Mark my words."

Peter showed no emotion. Paul rose up and walked away as Peter was pushed away.

A few minutes later, a nurse walked up to him and told him he can go visit Stephanie. Paul followed her and entered the room.

The scene was very eerily familiar to Paul. Stephanie was involved in a serious car accident years ago due to her drinking and barely made it out alive. She was in the hospital hooked up to monitors just like how she was now.

He sat beside her and held her hand. He tried so hard to speak but his emotions took over and he broke down in tears. He kissed her hand and held it against his cheek.

"I don't know if you can hear me, Steph, but if you can, I am so so sorry for everything. I know what I did was horrible; not letting you see the girls, having you step down, now allowing you to even step foot into our home, but I just wanted you to get a glimpse of reality and what you're doing to yourself. I never meant to hurt you. I never for you to end up like this. Please come back. You did it once, you can do it, baby. Not for me but for the girls. The little angels who ask everyday about you and if you're feeling better. I don't want them growing up without their mother. God, I'll make a deal with the devil himself and sell my soul to him if that's what it takes to bring you back to us."

He brushed her cheek with his hand and kissed her on the forehead. He decided to stay by her side all night and with each passing minute, he prayed she would wake up.


	20. Bringing Her Back

Weeks have passed and there was no sign of change in Stephanie's health condition. Friends and family would stop by and visit and unfortunately learned the truth about her struggle with addiction. Vince and Linda ensured Paul that when she wakes up, there will be a counselor waiting for her to get her life back on track. Paul thanked Vince but before any counseling plans were to be made, the only thing he hoped for was Stephanie to wake up.

The girls came to visit one day still not knowing the truth about their mother. Paul didn't feel it was appropriate to tell them their mother was involved with drugs. He still went along with the story that she is feeling sick and that now she needs to be in a hospital so doctors can take care of her.

"Why does mommy sleep so much?" Vaughn asked. Paul's heart broke and tried to fight back his tears. He didn't want it to appear as though this was anything serious. "Mommy is given a lot of medicine. So because of all the medicine, she gets very tired and sleepy." He explained. "But why are you so sad, daddy? Doctors usually make things better. Remember when I was so sick I didn't go to school for 3 days? The doctor gave me medicine and I was all better."

Paul kissed his little girl on the cheek and sat her on his lap. "I remember, honey. You got better right away but mommy and I were sad because we didn't want to see you sick. And that's why I'm sad. Because mommy is sick and I don't want to see her this way. I hope she gets better real soon so she can come home and we all take a trip together." Paul replied. "Me too." Vaughn said softly.

"Daddy, can we take our pictures and put them on the wall for mommy to see when she wakes up?" Murphy suggested. Paul nodded and got Vaughn off of his lap. The girls took out pictures they drew and pictures they took and taped them on the wall in front of Stephanie. Paul had the idea that every day the girls would bring in a couple of pictures and drawings and post them on the wall for their mother to see whenever she woke up that way she doesn't feel like she's missed anything.

"She's going to like the pictures." Murphy said. "Yeah… yeah she will." Paul softly answered and looked at Stephanie, laying there motionless.

"Mr. Paul, if you'd like, I can take the girls now so you can spend some time with Ms. Stephanie." Lucy said. Paul quietly laughed and shook his head. "You'll never let it go, huh? You don't need to say Mister. Just Paul is fine. Same with Steph. Don't go formal. You're family too."

Lucy smiled warmly and gave Paul a hug. "Everything will be okay. She is a strong woman. She would never leave you behind. To her, family is the most important thing in the world." Lucy explained.

She was a cute little British woman, in her early 40's who was wiser than both Paul and Stephanie and would always be teased as an old soul by the both of them. Paul always joked that it was perhaps she was the eldest of 6 kids and the eldest cousin of 15 that she became this wise. At this moment, he felt that her words were most helpful.

"I'm not sure if I'll be home tonight but if I'm not, take the girls out anywhere you want. Whatever they want, whatever you want. Movie, dinner, throw a party… I don't care. I just you want and the girls especially to have fun. Don't let this situation bring you down." Paul replied. He took out his wallet and handed her some money. "No, Mr. Paul I can't take your money." Lucy said. "Again, with the formal," Paul laughed. Lucy smiled and looked embarrassed. "I guess it's gonna be Mr. Paul. Anyway, just take the money. Do whatever you guys wanna do. Just go have a good time. They deserve it. You deserve it." Paul explained. Lucy was hesitant but took the money. She looked at Stephanie and touched her shoulder. "Goodnight, Ms. Stephanie."

She gave Stephanie a hug. The girls then each had a turn to say their goodbyes and left the room.

Paul managed to get some sleep but in the middle of the night he woke up. He looked at the time and rubbed his eyes. He held her hand and talked to her.

"I don't know if you can hear me. But if you can, I know you're a fighter. You fought so many battles before and this is just another one. It's tougher, I know, but dammit, I know you can win this. The girls ask about you every night. Your friends and family ask about you. We all need you back, Steph. I need you back. I know I made some stupid choices and hurt you and I will never be able to forgive myself but if you can hear me, Steph… just fight. I know you can do it. That's what I love so much about you. You never give up. And I won't let you give up. I love you. Always have. Always will."

He kissed her on the forehead and let go of her hand.

A tremble! Paul noticed and sat straight up speaking to her and encouraging her. He pressed for emergency assistance and continued to speak to her as he waited for doctors.

"Steph? Steph? I know you can hear me, baby. I saw you move that finger. Try again. Just a little harder."

Doctors came rushing in and asked what happened.

"I was speaking to her and suddenly her finger just started trembling." He answered. Before any doctor could open their mouth to speak, the heart rate monitor began to beep rapidly.

"What's going on? What's happening?" a worried Paul asked.

There was rapid eye movement and Paul was beginning to worry. "What is happening to my wife?" he demanded.

A doctor pushed him back and instructed him to stay outside the room until they figure out what is happening. Paul agreed and waited outside and walked in circles.

In the room, Stephanie's heart beat was becoming dangerously rapid. Her eyes opened! She began hyperventilating and clung onto a doctor's coat. To the doctors, it was clear in her eyes: she was dying! Doctors immediately ordered for instruments to be rushed over and began to save Stephanie.

Just when they seemed to have stabilized Stephanie's heart, she closed her eyes and took deep breaths in and out. She tilted her head to the side and the worst sound was heard: a flat line. The team of doctors brought over the defibrillator across the room and gave a shock to her heart. No change!

"Raise it up 100 volts!" the doctor ordered and gave her another shock. Nothing. "Raise it another 100!" the doctor yelled. Again, nothing! "God, damn, raise it up 200!"

The doctor gave her another jolt and with a miracle, she gasped for air! The doctor tossed the paddles onto the table and immediately placed an oxygen mask over her face.

"Just relax, Stephanie. It'll be okay. Deep breaths. Can you do that for me?" the doctor guided her. Stephanie heard his instructions and did as she was told.

After several minutes, her vitals were back to normal. Doctors examined her and agreed to do more testing in the morning. Once finished, they all opened the door with smiles on their faces. Paul smiled and pushed his way through them to find Stephanie in bed sitting up. He ran to her bedside and hugged her. Both never cried as hard they did at this moment.

"I told you, Steph. I told you you can do it. You're a fighter." He said. He kissed her and held her tightly in his arms not wanting to let go.

"Mr. Levesque? May we speak with you outside please?" a doctor asked.

Paul looked at Stephanie and gave her a kiss. "I'll be right back. I promise."

Stephanie smiled and nodded her head. Paul smiled back and then got up to meet the doctors.

"What happened?"

"Your wife suffered a sudden seizure which then led to cardiac arrest. We managed to revive her, as you can see, but I believe the real damage lies elsewhere."

"What are you talking about? What damage? She looks perfectly fine to me." Paul replied.

"Are you sure? Look carefully, sir." A second doctor responded.

Puzzled, Paul turned around and looked through the window at Stephanie. "She looks fine." He said. "Mr. Levesque, when we stabilized her we asked her a series of questions to see what she last remembered. Normally her response would be that of what she last remembered. In her case, it would be the date she was rushed to the hospital which was approximately 5 weeks ago. She stated the last thing she remembered was a red car cutting her off. Do you know what she meant by this?" the doctor asked. "Yeah. Yeah, that was from her accident about 5 years ago. But, I don't understand. Why would that be the last thing she remembered?" Paul asked.

"Mr. Levesque, we believe she may have some memory loss." The first doctor answered. "From the car accident? But that was 5 years ago. She was perfectly fine this whole time." Paul explained. "No, sir. We believe that she's suffering from a cognitive disorder. From the drug use and the seizure, it all happened at once. Now we can't be certain this is the case. This could just be from her waking up and she is just confused but until she is examined by a psychologist and a speech language pathologist tomorrow, we firmly believe she has frontal lobe damage from her drug use."

Paul was silent. He didn't know what to say. What could he say? His wife cannot remember the last 5 years. What was in store for him?

"Thank you, doctors." He said quietly. The entire team felt his pain and hung their heads low. They patted him on the back giving him hope that everything would be okay before leaving him alone. Paul entered her room and sat beside her.

"Hey, Paul! What's going on? So what am I here for? Am I taking my tonsils out? They've been hurting me for a while, you know." Stephanie happily said.

_What is happening to her? _

"Stephanie… you don't remember what happened a month ago?" Paul asked. "I was in a car accident. That red corvette cut me off and I remembered slamming my brakes." Stephanie answered. "Baby, that was 5 years ago. A month ago you passed out and I had to rush you here." Paul explained. Stephanie looked at him with a confused look on her face. "No. No, that's not right. A month ago… we went to Aurora's Pre-K performance. I remember. We got there early and Aurora kept running up to us asking us how she looked but we kept telling her to go back and be with her classmates." Stephanie responded. Paul sat for a moment and thought of what to say next.

"Steph… Aurora is 8 years old. You told the doctors and me just now that a month ago you remembered a car accident. That was 5 years ago. And now you're saying that a month ago was also Aurora's Pre-K performance. Which is it?" he asked. Stephanie realized her mistake and began to look visibly frustrated. "I… I don't know." She frowned.

"How many daughters do we have?" Paul asked. "Three." She answered. She knew that she had three daughters, yet she could only remember what happened 5 years ago. Something wasn't right. "What happened to you 2 years ago when we went to Switzerland?" Paul asked. "I… twisted my ankle." Stephanie answered. Paul shook his head. "No. No, that happened to you in high school. When did we get married?" Paul asked. Stephanie laughed. "Oh come on, Hunter. You think I'd forget my own wedding date? It was October 23rd, 2012."

"It's Paul."

"Huh?"

"My name is Paul. Hunter is my name I use on television. If we got married 2 years ago, why weren't the girls there?" Paul stated. Stephanie began to panic and didn't know the answer. "Because… because they… I don't know."

"Honey, you're mixing dates and events. We got married in 2003. Before the girls were even born. Two years ago we went to Switzerland and you skied for the first time since your injury in high school."

Stephanie looked away and noticed the photos on the wall. "What is that?"

"Those are the pictures your girls made for you while you were here. Every day they made pictures, cards, and took pictures of what they did so you knew and didn't have to miss anything. Whenever you woke up" Paul explained. Stephanie stared at the wall before getting out of the bed, with Paul's help, and taking a closer look. She looked at the photos and the cards.

"What happened? Why am I here?"

Paul stood behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Steph you were back to your old habits again. Drinking and this time, you were taking drugs. You weren't yourself. You had become this… monster. You didn't care about anyone. One day I had you stay in the guest house for fear that the girls would see you at your worst. The next day, I found you," he started and closed his eyes. He did not want to say the next few words but had no choice. It took all his might to drag the words out of his mouth. "In bed with another man. We fought and you… collapsed. When you were rushed here you fell into a coma. That was 5 weeks ago. Not 5 years ago."

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she stared at the pictures of her daughters. She placed her hand on a picture of all 3 of her daughters sitting together hugging each other and let out a loud wail. She dropped to her knees and sobbed uncontrollably as Paul got down and hugged her.

"What happened to me?" she cried. "It'll be okay. I promise. Everything will be back to normal, Steph. I swear." He answered as he cried along with her. He held her tightly in his arms and rocked her assuring that she is safe with him.


	21. Back to Square One

It was a long battle but after 3 years of intensive therapy and counseling, Stephanie's life was getting back on track. She suffered from a cognitive disorder that damaged her brain due to the drug use but with therapy she was able to lead a normal life again. She witnessed the graduation of her eldest daughter, Aurora and moving onto middle school. Both Murphy and Vaughn took their state exams and scored highest in their grades.

She took time off from working and Vince had informed her that she can come back whenever she feels ready. He set up a private addiction counselor to stay at their guest house and that Stephanie would visit the guest house daily for rehab. Aurora eventually found out what had happened and understood that her mother needed help. She was as helpful as could be to ensure that her mother would be better in no time. Murphy and Vaughn were still too young to understand and the family did their best to try and conceal it from them.

She never contacted Peter or Aaron ever again. She changed her phone number and deleted any numbers that were related to her dark past. She swore to herself that she'd never go through that again and hurt her family.

On a quiet summer day, Stephanie grabbed the mail and looked through it.

"Paul, look. We're invited to the Summer Gala this year." She said as she read the invitation card. "Oh nice. Who's hosting the event this year?" Paul asked as he looked at his computer doing his work. "Hmm… oh! Steele Corp." She answered. Paul stopped his work and looked at her. "Adam Steele? _That_ Steele Corp?" he asked. "I guess so." She answered.

Adam Steele was known in Connecticut as not only one of the richest men in the state, but also a shark in the boardroom and a playboy. He lived a lavish life of luxury along with being connected wild nights of parties. His formal events were exclusive and one would be considered honored to be invited. His gala events were usually the biggest events on the year with hundreds of guests coming from wealth and fame attending. Usually a charity event was hosted and this year was for children's cancer.

"I don't know if it's a good idea to go, Steph." Paul said. "Oh come on, Paul. It's for the kids. Besides, it's also a great opportunity to network with other businesses for future proposals." Stephanie suggested. Paul thought about it and nodded. "Okay. We'll go but under one condition. You stay near me. I don't want anyone to say anything to you since the incident. It'll be our first appearance together in 3 years." Paul advised. "It'll be fine." Stephanie assured him.

A month later was the gala. All eyes were on Paul and Stephanie. They have not been publicly seen since her episode. Many wanted to ask how she was but feared that it was too personal. Instead, they respected her presence and welcomed her. All night Stephanie and Paul talked business and networked with potential business partners along with contributing large donations to the children's hospital for cancer and diseases.

She had her arm around his and Paul looked over at Stephanie. "You okay?" he asked. "A little nervous still but I'll be fine. So far so good." She replied referring to the alcohol that was all around her. She fought her urges and requested water all the time. Paul was not only proud of her but happy to see she is able to live the life that she once again.

"If you'll excuse me, I'm gonna run to the bathroom to fix my make up. My eyes are killing me." Stephanie joked. She stepped away and went upstairs to find the ladies room.

When she entered she walked over to the large mirrors and sat on a stool. She looked at herself in the mirror and smiled. She fixed her make up and when she was done, she got up but just when she was about to exit, she saw a group of young women huddled together talking very quietly. One woman looked behind and noticed who it was.

"Well if it isn't Stephanie McMahon!" she announced.

All the other women turned around and greeted her.

"Come on over, Stephanie. How are you?" another young woman asked.

Stephanie was a little hesitant. A woman walked up and guided her over to the group.

"What is going on? What's with the huddle?" Stephanie asked.

"Oh, the usual boring gala events. No fun anywhere. So we decided to bring the fun to the event." A third woman answered.

"It's not that bad, you know. Meet new people. Connections are good to have for business." Stephanie explained. "For you, yes, because you do run a business. We're just the tag-alongs. We don't need to hear any more talks of profit gains and marginalization and equities. Blah, blah, blah." The first young woman explained. "And just how do expect to make the time pass? It's a 6 hour event." Stephanie replied. "Simple. We bring the fun and no one ever notices." The third young woman answered. She stepped aside and on the counter revealed several lines ready made for them to take in. Stephanie couldn't take her eyes off the white powdery substance. She gulped hard and shook her head.

"No. No, I need to go. My husband is downstairs and we are supposed to meet with someone for a potential business proposition any minute now." She said. "Hey, it's your loss but think of how great and confident you'd feel after taking some of this. You'd be invincible. Imagine the deals you could make because of the ideas you come up with all thanks to this." The first woman replied.

The door opened and out came Stephanie with a big smile on her face. She spotted Paul downstairs and made her way down. When she arrived, without giving Paul a chance, she introduced herself to a future business partner.

"Well now, I see someone is excited for this deal." The older man joked.

"You have no idea." She answered.

Paul laughed and held Stephanie by the waist. As the man spoke with Paul, Stephanie whispered something in his ear. His smile suddenly vanished and he looked at Stephanie with grave concern. All she did was smile back.

If you're confused about the ending… don't be. I purposely wrote it that way because it is up to you to decide what her fate should be.

It's safe to say that Stephanie told him about the women upstairs doing the drugs but the real question is: did she do it too? Is Paul's facial expression meant for a concern that she is back to her old habits or meant for a concern that he's afraid she is now exposed to it again and some time during the night she may end up doing it?

Back to Square One could mean 2 things: back to her old life or back to her addiction life.

Thanks everyone for reading, reviewing, adding me to your list of Favorites and stay tuned for more stories!


	22. Author's Note

First and foremost I must thank all of you readers and viewers for checking out Sweetest Sins. Without you guys taking the time to read it, this story never would have been what it is now. Your reviews constantly helped me make it a more interesting story for you to enjoy and leave you wanting more. With that I am forever in your debt.

Sweetest Sins started off first as an idea way off base and had nothing to do with sex, drugs, or alcohol at all. Let's face it, Paul and Stephanie on screen and off screen seem to be perfect. The kind of marriage everyone would want. I decided that giving them a darker side would make for an interesting story for us to read and a more realistic view on what really happens in a marriage.

After deciding to take a dark angle, I needed an idea on how to begin their tragic lives. I've always had this vision of her being the rich woman with a dark secret. She's successful but she gets that success with a little help. I was watching Requiem For A Dream, a story about 4 individuals living in Coney Island and suffering from drug addictions one day and after watching the film, I thought to myself, "What if she's one of them? We hear about celebs and their drug or alcohol addictions all the time but what if she too is one but just hides it from the public?" By making her look vulnerable, in regards to her addiction, you get to see that people with addictions can't help themselves. They just want to satisfy the cravings. You also get a more realistic idea of who she may be and not this rich 37 year old woman with the fabulous life that we all wish we had.

The idea of Peter came when I was talking with my friend who is a Priest. I already have this successful character who has more money than we can imagine and she uses it carelessly for illegal substances so why not go ahead and make it where they take over her life and she can't even make the right judgment? Where she depends on this guy who she thinks cares for her but really is pulling the wool over her eyes? If you hadn't noticed by now, Peter is a Biblical name. Of course, ironically he is the opposite of what you'd associate Peter to be in the Bible. Peter really had no care for her at all. Stephanie was this woman, in his eyes, who wanted drugs and every time she got her hands on them she became this whole new person with a wild side having sex and getting drunk and of course, getting high some more. Her judgment would be impaired but he didn't care. He just wanted a piece of her. The same would go for Stephanie too. He was just a convenience for Stephanie because he had what she wanted. Both were using each other and in reality that's how it goes when it comes to drugs. There is no care for one another. It's just a dog eat dog world where if one has the goods the other will take advantage of you and pretend to be your best friend. Unfortunately for Stephanie, she fell victim to that.

One thing I didn't want to add into the story was the kids getting involved. In real life, any adult/parent wouldn't want their kids to find out that their loved one is a drug abuser or alcoholic. They want to protect them from that. Being a teacher, I felt it would make of a good angle to have Paul constantly make sure these kids are not exposed to hearing them fight or seeing their mother in such a dangerous stage of her life. If you put yourself in his shoes, I'm sure you'd do the same thing.

One thing that a couple of readers wrote that really ticked me off (you know who you are) was that Paul was too weak and that he should have just left his wife, that he's not a man. Again, I wanted this to be as realistic as possible. Any couple who deals with this will not give up that easily and walk out the door and say "Fuck it, you're ruining your life, this marriage is over." It takes more than that. A marriage requires teamwork, commitment and a lot of patience. I wanted to show the true side of addiction and how tough it is for a spouse to handle this because as much as they may hate their wife/husband for getting involved with substance abuse, they don't want to see their lives shatter before them. Yes, Paul did not leave Stephanie and he never quite answered Stephanie's request for a divorce because in reality no real couple would do that. I'm not married nor am I engaged or dating, but if I did have a husband who was addicted to alcohol or drugs there is no way I'd just say "Oh, you're doing drugs? You're drinking? You're sneaking out and sleeping with other men? Okay, then goodbye!" As much as I'd be tempted to, first thing I must remember is that they are so dependent on the drugs and alcohol that they will do whatever they can to get access to them. Even though Stephanie was sleeping with Peter, she only did it because she knew he was the one who was able to give her what she wanted. Her mind was so clouded that she didn't think clearly about what she was doing. All she wanted was the drug and whatever it took to get it, she'd do it. As long as her craving for it was met she didn't care who she was hurting. That's the life of an addict. They don't care about anyone else but themselves. It's sad but it's how they are.

Towards the end, she ends up in a hospital and suffers a seizure and a cardiac arrest. I had to take a couple of days and research the effects of cocaine and the brain and what could happen. These things can happen. They may not happen back to back or in that exact order but a drug user can indeed have an episode or a cardiac arrest. You later on learn that she suffers from a cognitive disorder. Cognition is the understanding of things. Your thought process and memory is part of it. One user asked if there would be a happy ending for her or if this was going to be a type of story with a message behind it. It's a little of both. I do want to show the real struggles of addiction and the consequences but also there can be a happy ending… with a price to pay. Stephanie's memory was impaired. She remembered things but not in the right order. She knew she had an injury when skiing but she claimed it happened 2 years ago, not when she was a teenager. She knew she had 3 girls but couldn't comprehend the idea that Aurora was now 8 and no longer the only child. These are some cases and with therapy it is possible to help someone get their life back on track but it does take many years.

Finally the end. After 3 years you see that she starts her life all over again. The family seems to be back to normal. Stephanie and Paul are happy. She got rid of everyone who was considered lethal in her life. They are invited to a gala and for the first time you see her genuinely happy and excited. Upon their arrival she speaks to guests and networks with several and when she goes to the restroom she stumbles upon women who, yup, are each taking turns doing a line of cocaine. For any recovering addict this is pretty much your make or break point. She's alone with no support to back her up and remind her to ignore the urge and move on and the women pressure her to go ahead and try it. No harm, right? For any former addict, this is their worst nightmare.

I never exactly tell you if she did or didn't because the next paragraph stated she leaves the bathroom and meets a potential business partner and with excitement she swoops in and introduces herself. Cocaine does give you this feeling of confidence, like how Stephanie acted with the man, but when it comes to business you must show confidence and the image that you're ready to talk, do business and make a deal. She whispers something to Paul and without a doubt you know it's about the activity in the bathroom and then he has this look of fear and concern on his face when he looks at her. She does nothing but smile back to him leaving you to wonder: Why? Did she do it too? Is that why he looks gravely concerned? Or is he afraid that she will do it if she goes back? Why was she so confident and amped up, ready for this business potential? Was she genuinely excited to talk with him or was it the drugs that took over again? The purpose of me giving the final chapter that title was because it was up to you to decide. Back to Square One as in her former life before drugs and alcohol, or Back to Square One her dark life again?

This story wasn't just meant to be for entertainment purposes. I also just wanted to send out a message to everyone that substance abuse is real and these are the struggles. Families fight, lives are ruined and prices are paid. Some will not agree with my idea of having Paul stick around and help her but I wanted to make this story sound and feel as real as possible to give everyone a little dose of reality. Drugs and alcohol can ruin someone's life but there are also people who won't stop until they make sure help is given to them.

Thanks everyone for taking the few minutes of your time to read this as well as Sweetest Sins. It was definitely one of the best things I wrote with your help! Looking forward to writing more and possibly making a prequel? And remember, if you know anyone who is battling an addiction, please don't give up on them. Help them before they ruin their lives. Addiction can't be cured but it can be controlled and the urges can be prevented. Too many people have fallen victim and died to drugs and alcohol. I hope this little story gave you a glimpse and you can help spread the word with me.


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